Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The penultimate CURSORIAL hunter: The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) - WWF maximum cards/maxicards/dorincards about Guinea (République de Guinée)


"The African Wild DogLycaon pictus, is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and other lightly wooded areas. It is also called the African Hunting DogPainted WolfCape Hunting DogPainted DogPainted Hunting DogSpotted Dog or Ornate Wolf."
"The African Wild Dog hunts in packs. Like most members of the dog family, it is cursorial hunter, meaning that it pursues its prey in a long, open chase. Nearly 80% of all wild dog hunts end in a kill; for comparison, the success rate of lions, often viewed as ultimate predators, is only 30%. Schaller found that 9 of 10 wild dog hunts in the Serengeti ended in kills. [12]. Members of a pack vocalize to help coordinate their movements. Its voice is characterized by an unusual chirping or squeaking sound, similar to a bird. Wild dogs frequently kill larger prey via disemboweling, a technique that is rapid but has caused this species to have a negative, ferocious reputation."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_wild_dog