The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a canine found in Central and South America. or the African wild dog. The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
In Brazil, it is called ('vinegar dog') and ('bush dog'). In Spanish-speaking countries, it is called ('vinegar dog'), ('vinegar fox'), ('water dog'), and ('shrub or woodland dog').
Description
Adult bush dogs have soft long brownish-tan fur, with a lighter reddish tinge on the head, neck and back and a bushy tail, while the underside is dark, sometimes with a lighter throat patch. Younger individuals, however, have black fur over their entire bodies. Adults typically have a head-body length of , with a tail. They have a shoulder height of and weigh . They have short legs relative to their body, as well as a short snout and relatively small ears.
Genetics
Speothos has a diploid chromosome number of 74. in Central America and through much of South America east of the Andes, as far south as central Bolivia, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. They primarily inhabit lowland forests up to elevation, New, repeated observations of bush dog groups have been recorded in east-central (Barbilla National Park) and south-eastern (La Amistad International Park) Costa Rica, and a substantial portion of the Talamanca Mountains up to to the north-northwest and at elevations up to . Very recent fossils dating from 300 AD to 900 AD (the Late Ceramic Age) have been found in the Manzanilla site on the eastern coast of Trinidad.
There are three recognised subspecies:
Behavior
Bush dogs are carnivores and hunt during the day. Their typical prey are pacas, agoutis, acouchis and capybaras, all large rodents. Although they can hunt alone, bush dogs are usually found in small packs. When hunting paca, part of the pack chases it on land and part wait for it in the water, where it often retreats. Although they can hunt such large prey in groups, bush dogs generally prefer smaller prey that does not pose a high risk of injury; a lone bush dog may suffer broken canine teeth attempting subdue a paca. Packmates keep in contact with frequent whines, perhaps because visibility is poor in the undergrowth where they typically hunt. While eating large prey, parents position themselves at either ends of the animal, making it easier for the pups to disembowel it. Like many other canids, bush dog mating includes a copulatory tie, during which the animals are locked together.
Gestation lasts from 65 to 83 days and normally results in the birth of a litter of three to six pups, although larger litters of up to 10 have been reported. They can live for up to 10 years in captivity.