top of page
Buscar

Hunters II: Canids

To start this new year, we will continue with the hunters' posts.


In this first of 2021, I want to talk about canids: dogs, wolves, foxes and allies. As I have already tried to convey on several occasions, this group is no exception to the rule. It is a group that, although it may seem homogeneous, is not, and shows the evolutionary processes such as adaptive radiation, in which new species emerge to cover empty ecological niches, that is, cast roles that need new performers in the play that is an ecosystem. And with this, it has its "weirdos", who do what it have to be performed in unique ways.


We usually associate a kind of cooperative hunting with this group: wolf packs led by their alphas, chasing prey to exhaustion. And some of them are like that, and there are some species that have even taken these packs to a further level.

Wolfs hunting in packs. Pictures from internet.


This is the case of African wild dogs or painted dogs (Lycaon pictus). One of the most efficient hunters among all mammals, with a success rate of between 70 and 89% according to the authors, much higher than what we saw with the cats. But why? What makes them so good at hunting?

African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). Picture from internet


There are different factors and adaptations. For a long time, they were thought to have only 4 digits, unlike all other extent canids. But this is not the case, they have a vestigial digit, which has lost its original function. Thus, the muscles and ligaments of the limbs have undergone modifications that make them less mobile at the wrists, but provide them with extra support in long-distance running.


African wild dogs hunting. Pictures from internet


But this is not what makes them so unique. There are several studies about particularities in their hierarchical matriarchal herd, and that is that the African wild dogs have meetings. Before they decide to go hunting, they "vote" on it. And they do so by sneezing, deciding whether to go hunting or not depending on the members who sneeze and the frequency of these. Of course, like our electoral system, it is not an exact democracy either, and the hierarchically superior individuals have more influence on the voting, but this is not a prerequisite, as those votes can be subdued in case the "will of the group" is contrary.


In this way, their social cohesion is high and allows them to pursue a single objective in a synchronised way in large numbers, in some cases continuously and in others through several attempts by group members in the form of a relay race. The latter mode is becoming increasingly common due to the destruction of their habitats and movement to more forested areas, because of human factors that have brought this species to the category of Endangered in the IUCN Red List.

African wild dogs playing. Picture from internet


But as we said, it is still a version adapted to its ecosystem of group hunting, which is carried out in the well-known wolves, but also in other canids such as the unknown dholes or whistling dogs (Cuon alpinus) or bush dogs (Speothos venaticus), the latter capable of hunting even in water.


Dhole (Cuon alpinus) and bush dogs (Speothos venaticus). Pictures from internet


On the other hand, we have opportunistic hunters, without a hunting style of chasing until exhaustion, but more suprprising and ambushing. An example that we all know is the fox, that animal with a sly face that appears in so many fables as an egg thief, or manipulator. Canids with this hunting style are usually smaller and lead a solitary life.

But there are also some that are quite large, such as the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), a unique looking animal with movements reminiscent of a hyena, a complete weirdo in large canids. And almost all of them are opportunists, taking advantage of the carrion, as we have seen the black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) in so many documentaries.


European fox (Vulpes vulpes) and maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), pictures from internet.

Black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) and same species eating carrion. Own pictures


Another proof of this opportunism is the presence in their diet of items of vegetable origin. It is common to see fox faeces with traces of berries, especially when there is an abundance of them. This is a complementary energy source and even at certain times of the year it is an important part of their diet.


But the one who takes this further is the maned wolf we mentioned earlier. Despite being a good hunter, the greatest energy contribution in its diet is from insects and plants, eating fruits and roots. In fact, there is a plant called wolf apple (Solanum lycocarpum) with which it has a close relationship, being a great disperser of its seeds as the fruit of this plant accounts for 50% of its diet in some regions.


Maned wolf eating a wolf apple. Flower and fruit of wolf apple, with size reference. Pictures from internet


With this, we have been able to ascertain that there are oddities in all the groups, and although in the canids there are mostly opportunistic and group hunters, there are also weirdos such as the half-vegan maned wolf.


I would like to conclude, as I did with the cats' post, with a reflective paragraph about our closest fauna. We have seen that the most effective hunters of those seen so far in this group of posts are the African painted dogs, above the wolves. The success rate of the wolves' hunts is high, but this is mainly due to the fact that, like the lionesses and most of the pursuing predators, they choose their prey well. They choose the oldest, sickest or the youngest. In this way, wolves, like predators in general, balance and regulate populations, causing the survival of the healthiest and fittest. This is basic ecology, but it seems that in Spain it is not fully understood by some sectors that see them as competitors for what they hunt. It is true that they can cause problems in living with livestock, but we must try to protect them from losses and compensate them when they occur, without the need to kill or generate animosity towards one of our most emblematic animals, the Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus).

Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus). Picture from internet


There are still many posts and groups of hunting animals. And we still have most of the unique and exceptional hunters left. I hope that you liked it and that you will continue to join me in discovering the other superhunting animals.


Interest sources:

African wild dog sneezes: Walker, R. H., King, A. J., McNutt, J. W., & Jordan, N. R. (2017). Sneeze to leave: African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) use variable quorum thresholds facilitated by sneezes in collective decisions. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1862), 20170347. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2017.0347

Muscle adaptations and vestigial digit in African wild dogs: Smith, H. F., Adrian, B., Koshy, R., Alwiel, R., & Grossman, A. (2020). Adaptations to cursoriality and digit reduction in the forelimb of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). PeerJ, 8, e9866. https://peerj.com/articles/9866/

Diet of the maned wolf: Santos, E. F., Setz, E. Z., & Gobbi, N. (2003). Diet of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and its role in seed dispersal on a cattle ranch in Brazil. Journal of Zoology, 260(2), 203-208. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/46759217/s095283690300365020160624-9844-1ds5jkz.pdf?1466777455=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DDiet_of_the_maned_wolf_Chrysocyon_brachy.pdf&Expires=1610646528&Signature=CW-yLvfiuTOWNNSziD6guQvFvsCT1kl7vteyh~KtHf2Lng~Gx2oSjQCzYRRkiQzva-ZOxC7v9llC2yvFeyU~UuAgcX3fzy5gwa3QSm8s4tP2RdPPbpLjetgNYbVzEQTeMrFazJ0xXuFIX02VgrQhvDyc~SpRRScvRAzsaLwd5CYl5HAnH2Ug6ly21v3M~wS4VQtx-nfHuIJqxnjyuIfuojP-S4OOXzaI1CDrt9Dw4yP2rHoxuaXG6fKBMGLbWYpSbGJdIsEerUacSFN-jjCpI95Rz67X8rN8xWr5N~qWeeTjZDXSofQiIyP0-I8t3rEtmgI0nMmmyJmm0DIrLmxwDA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

Motta‐Junior, J. C., Talamoni, S. A., Lombardi, J. A., & Simokomaki, K. (1996). Diet of the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, in central Brazil. Journal of Zoology, 240(2), 277-284.

Комментарии

bottom of page