The African hunting dog is a small, wild member of the dog family, Canidae. The single species, Lycaon pictus, is found in Africa south and east of the Sahara and is also known as the African wild dog or Capehuntingdog. The black-skinned, long-legged body weighs up to 23 kg and is covered with short, sparse fur in a wide range of black, yellow, and white patterns. The ears are large and rounded. Each paw has only four toes. The animal lives and travels in packs numbering from a few to more than 50 individuals. They sometimes range widely in their search for food. The dogs exhibit complex social patterns; both parents care for the young, who learn much about hunting and game-trail patterns from the older dogs in the pack. A large pack of dogs can bring down large animals, such as lions and antelopes. After a gestation period of about 70 days, six to eight young are born to a litter. Research African Hunting Dog
The Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon) is a butterfly of the family Satyridae. It has a wing span of about 40 mm and is found in temperate Europe and western Asia in dry, grassy localities, favouring those with a sandy substrate. Research Dusky Meadow Brown
In Greek mythology, Lycaon was a king of Arcadia, the son of Pelasgus, and the first civilizer of Arcadia. He was turned into a wolf because he offered human sacrifices to Zeus. Research Lycaon
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Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research African Hunting Dog
