Dingo

dingo

dingo, (Canis lupus dingo, Canis dingo), also called warrigal, member of the family Canidae native to Australia. Most authorities regard dingoes as a subspecies of the wolf (Canis lupus dingo); however, some authorities consider dingoes to be their own species (C. dingo). The name dingo is also used to describe wild dogs of Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and New Guinea.

The dingo was apparently introduced to Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia by sea travelers. Although the oldest known dingo fossil in Australia dates from about 3,500 years ago, studies of the diversity of DNA in the mitochondria of living individuals have suggested that the first dingoes were introduced to Australia sometime between 4,600 and 18,300 years ago. (By contrast, humans arrived in Australia at least 30,000 years ago.) Thus, it appears that dingoes were introduced to Australia before true domestication of dogs was achieved, allowing establishment of wild populations. It is unclear, however, if dingoes are wild or descended from domesticated or partially domesticated dogs (C. lupus familiaris) that later became feral.

Similar to the domestic dog in structure and habits, the dingo has short soft fur, a bushy tail, and erect pointed ears. It is about 120 cm (48 inches) long, including the 30-cm (12-inch) tail, and stands about 60 cm (24 inches) tall at the shoulder. Females are smaller than males in both height and weight; female adults weigh 11.8 to 19.4 kg (26 to about 43 pounds), while the largest males approach 20 kg (44 pounds). Fur colour varies between yellowish and reddish brown, often with white underparts, paws, and tail tip. The coats of some dingoes may be either jet black or pure white. Dingoes can be differentiated from domestic dogs of similar size and shape by their longer muzzle, larger ears, more-massive molars, and longer and more-slender canine teeth.

Dingoes hunt alone or in small groups of 2 to 12 individuals. Groups typically consist of family members and resemble those of other canines such as wolves. Dingoes are highly mobile; daily movements may reach 10–20 km (6–12 miles), and territories vary in size from 10 to 115 square km (4 to 44 square miles). There is little overlap among adjacent groups; boundaries are delineated by scent marking, and occupancy of territories is also indicated by howling. Dingoes rarely bark, but they have a varied repertoire of howls and are often called “singing dogs.”

Dingoes are large carnivores. Historically, they preyed mostly on kangaroos and wallabies, but their diet changed with the introduction of the European rabbit (genus Oryctolagus) into Australia in the mid-19th century. Now dingoes consume mostly rabbits and small rodents. Through competition, they may have contributed to the extermination of the Tasmanian wolf (thylacine) and Tasmanian devil, both marsupials, on the Australian mainland. Dingoes also compete aggressively with the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), which is invasive in Australia, and help to control red fox populations where both species overlap.

Occasionally, dingoes prey on livestock, especially calves, and for this reason they are often regarded as pests. With the European settlement of Australia, dingoes preyed on sheep and poultry and were consequently eliminated from most settled areas. To help limit dingo incursions from the Outback, the Australian government erected a dingo fence that extended 5,614 km (3,488 miles) across the states of South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland by 1885. Today the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the dingo as a vulnerable species, in large part because of hybridization (that is, the crossbreeding of different species) with domestic dogs, a problem that is constantly increasing with spreading human settlement. Wild dingoes, though bold and suspicious, can be tamed, and they are sometimes captured and tamed by Australian Aboriginal peoples.

Dingoes have their pups in caves, hollow logs, and enlarged rabbit warrens. Breeding occurs in the spring, and, after a gestation period of 63 days, females give birth to usually four or five pups, occasionally as many as 10. As with most other canines, both parents care for the young. Young males often disperse outside their natal areas; one tagged individual was recorded as traveling 250 km (150 miles) in 10 months. The longest known life span for any individual dingo is 18 years 7 months.