Where does the dingo dog live on which continent. Wild dog dingo. Purchasing a Dingo Puppy

wild dog dingoes, perhaps the only of all representatives of the wild, can become attached to a person and live with him, unlike the same wolves. There are many cases when a person took babies for himself, and those, in turn, developed like domestic dogs.

The dingo dog can be found in Australia. Outwardly, it resembles both a wolf and a domestic dog at the same time. An animal of small stature, about fifty centimeters at the withers, but there are also especially large individuals, mostly males, they can reach seventy centimeters. Dingoes are very beautiful and even cute, dogs have a rather large head and a rounded nose, ears are wide and erect. Wool in Australian residents, as a rule, sandy Brown color with a grayish tint. Albinos are also quite rare, mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country. You can also meet dogs with very dark hair, such individuals appeared from crossing with domestic dog breeds, presumably with shepherd dogs.

For a long time, dingoes have been the masters of the continent, as well as the nearby islands. We can say that they had neither rivals nor competitors, except perhaps for the marsupial wolf, the Australian opossum and the thylacine.

Animal dingo can be safely called a nocturnal animal. These cute dogs live mainly in forests, as a rule, exclusively where a dry climate prevails, for example, in eucalyptus thickets or arid deserts, which are located inland. The wild dog dingo is a predatory animal, they hunt birds, reptiles and numerous marsupials that live in these parts. Dogs arrange their dwellings, as a rule, among the roots of huge trees, in pits, or they choose caves for their place of residence. In a word, for housing they choose only secluded places, those that are closed from prying eyes and inaccessible to people. Dogs live in packs certain period time until the puppies grow up and go into adulthood.

Dingoes are the oldest animals in Australia. The dingo dog has lived on this continent for more than six thousand years. The remains of ancient dogs are found mixed with the remains of marsupials. Scientists still cannot establish the exact origin of the dingo, and controversy has not subsided to this day.

Dogs mate in winter time years, and in the spring puppies are born. Pregnancy, like other dogs, is short-lived, about nine weeks. After that, about eight puppies are born. They do not come out until two months, at which time they live in their lair, where their mother feeds them with milk.

Puppies live with their parents for up to two years, during which time they learn everything necessary for life and learn to hunt. Dogs go hunting, usually in pairs or alone. Much less common are family flocks consisting of five or six individuals, most often it is a mother with her cubs.

Dingoes are real masters of hunting, they approach this process with skill, and quite consciously choose an object for hunting. In addition, wild dogs are very fast, their speed can be up to sixty kilometers per hour. Predators treat everything new with distrust, and this helps them survive in difficult conditions, where danger lies in wait for them at every step. Their main enemy is man. Due to the fact that dogs lead a nocturnal and rather secretive lifestyle, not very, to put it mildly, smart people dubbed them cowards and fools, although, in fact, everything is exactly the opposite. Dingoes are smart, brave, dexterous, resourceful and quick-witted, and the courage of these animals can only be envied. It is clear that they lead a nocturnal lifestyle solely because of their characteristics, and not because they are not brave enough to go out in broad daylight.

Since the Europeans arrived on the continent, the life of a wild dog has changed a lot, it has new neighbors. People brought sheep with them, which bred and began to live in the territory, on the same equal rights as other animals. Rabbits also arrived, which later became the main prey of the dingo.

However, many say that dingoes are not truly wild animals and predators, but are feral domestic dogs, perhaps from the most ancient prehistoric era. In the seventeenth century, when the first Europeans set foot on the land of Australia, they found at that time, in addition to dingoes, only bats and rats that lived there. The presence of rats and mice can be explained quite easily, it is believed that the mice arrived from Asia, and the rats got here on the trees brought by the current. But many find it difficult to explain the presence of dogs. According to one version, many centuries ago, Asia and Australia were connected by land, scientists believe that this is why dogs got here by the connecting bridge. Based on this version, the question arises - why did marsupials or other animals living at that time in Asia not get in the same way?

They say that dingoes are descendants of dogs of indigenous Asian tribes. Once upon a time, they came with sailors, or on their own, to Australia and bred here. There are many similarities between the dogs of Asia and the dingo, for example, both never bark, but only squeal or howl. We can say that they are "talkative" animals. For example, they always give a voice when they approach their home. In a moment of danger, they also never remain silent. Dingoes also give voice before fierce fights among themselves. The howling of dogs can be heard at night, during the day they are most often silent. Despite their difficult, and perhaps ferocious disposition, dingoes never attack people. It is believed that this is an echo of their ancient nature, and the memory that they once lived with a man.

There are quite frequent cases when pastoralists adopted still very small wild dogs, which later behaved exclusively like domestic dogs, and even barked and began to wag their tail!

Quite often it happens that a person, invading someone else's territory, establishes his rights, and this happened with Australia. People began to kill dogs with guns, put traps on them, and poison them with poison. But dingoes defend their rights and try to escape from the most bloodthirsty animal in the world, whose name is man.

In Russia, the image of the wild dog Dingo is often romanticized, due to the literary glorification of the Australian guest. At the same time, in places where the dingo is distributed, where people know firsthand about the animal, the idea of ​​​​a dog is less rosy.

History of the Dingo Dog

There is a well-known hypothesis that the dingo dog arrived in Australia 4000 years ago along with immigrants from Asia. Another version: dingoes are direct descendants of the home that appeared on the continent 6000 years ago. It is likely that the progenitors of dingoes are Indian wolves and pario dogs.

For a long time it was believed that the first dingo dogs were brought to the continent by ancient aborigines 40-50 thousand years ago. The theory later fell apart like a house of cards when a skull identical to that of a dingo was found in a burial site estimated to be 55,000 years old. There was a burial in ... Vietnam! Since the discovery, two additional theories have emerged.

• The first is from those who remembered that there were no separate continents before. There was a single land, around - the oceans. Until one day an event occurred that split the land into continents, which spread across the surface of the planet. Proponents of the hypothesis argued that since the oldest dingo skull was found in Asia, it means that there is evidence that once Australia and Asia were a single whole, the dogs simply crossed over land.
• The second theory is more credible: the dogs were transported by immigrants from Asian countries to Australia. There, having no competition, finding a lot of food in the form of small marsupials, they quickly multiplied and firmly took root.

The dingo is considered to be a secondarily feral dog whose ancestor, the Indian wolf, was domesticated by humans and then returned to the wild. On the other hand, facts are known indicating that the dingo was originally domesticated, and later, due to wild crossings, received a rebellious disposition.

The farmers of Australia call the "dingo" mean and cowardly man. It is not surprising for long history Australian livestock dingoes were considered worst enemies farmers. During the night, the flock was reduced by more than 20 sheep as a result of the "late supper" of the dingo family, consisting of 4-12 dogs. Dingoes were subjected to cruel and uncompromising extermination.

Farmers organized raids to exterminate wild dogs in territories bordering their own possessions. Gradually, the number of dogs increased so much that the dogs began to cause significant damage to the farm. It was not possible to stop the shooting of the attack, people decided to build a fence. Its length was equal to a third of the length of the Great Wall of China. Fragments of a fence across a third of the continent have survived to this day.

Later, conservation organizations got involved and it turned out that the dingo occupies an important position in the life of the Australian fauna. Having exterminated the main competitors of marsupial wolves and marsupial devils, wild dogs have firmly occupied a niche for regulating the number of animals, especially the rabbit - a terrible scourge for Australian farmers.

AT last years people decided to tame the Dingo again. In part, the Dingo dog breed was formed, but did not receive official recognition. In most countries, you cannot keep a Dingo at home.

Description of the predator

There are a number of varieties of dingoes living in their part of the world, Australia and Asia. List of countries where dingoes live in wild nature:

• Australia;
• Thailand;
• Myanmar;
• China;
• Laos;
• Malaysia;
• Indonesia;
• Borneo;
• Philippines;
• New Guinea.

Description Dingo is not recognized by international cynological unions! Defined external characteristics Wild Dog Dingo:

• Broad, massive head. The forehead is slightly divided by a furrow originating from the superciliary arches.
• A sharp muzzle, similar to a fox, but wider.
• The erect ears are triangular in shape.
• Powerful jaws form a regular scissor bite, long fangs.
• Relatively flat skull with prominent occipital lines.
• The neck is medium in size, dry and muscular. The neck is framed by a slight resemblance of a fluffy wool collar.
• The back is straight and strong. The loin is short, narrowing relative to the back.
• The sternum is deep.
• The saber-shaped tail is densely covered with hair.
• The forelimbs are represented by strong bones. The legs are parallel and straight when viewed from the front. Hind limbs with developed hocks. Strong and muscular. Allows you to quickly push off when running.
• Medium sized eyes.
• The weight of an adult animal ranges from 10-19 kg.
• Height at the withers 47-67 cm.

Males are larger than females. It is noted that Australian dingoes are larger than their Asian relatives.

• The fur of animals is short and thick.
• The color is dominated by a reddish hue. Moreover, the belly and muzzle are lighter than the main tone. There are individuals with a black coat color related to dingo hybrids (presumably with).
• Eye color varies from pale yellow to deep brown.

The wild dog dingo is an animal that has interesting feature: purebred never barks, only able to howl and growl.

Thick fur protects the dog from heat and cold. Any color other than red is considered an indication of an admixture. Dingoes easily interbreed with domestic dogs, yard dogs. It is believed that purebred Dingoes today can only be found in reserves.

Animal character

In the wild, dogs, like wolves, live in packs. 4 - 12 dogs become members of the pack. The dominant pair is considered the main one. A hierarchy is built around the elect. These dogs breed exclusively. If in a pack puppies are born from another bitch, the dominant bitch kills the offspring. Discipline and subordination in the pack is developed on the principle of strength. A lot of self-allowing dogs will certainly meet with the aggression of the alpha male.

The whole flock takes care of the puppies born by the main bitch: they protect and feed them with regurgitated food until the kittens get stronger and start hunting themselves. In the wild, Dingo eschews humans, rarely seeks to cross paths with them. Long years extermination and hatred left their mark. Only once was the public shocked by the news that a wild dog had kidnapped a one-year-old child from his parents.

Exotic lovers are happy to tame dingoes. Often a dingo lives next to a person. This is possible if a dingo fell into the hands of a person as a tiny puppy. Growing up, takes for the owner the only person. Changing the owner for an adult dingo is not possible.

• Representatives of the breed are distinguished by a playful character.
• Smart dog, loves to have fun.
• Burrows are chosen for sleep, pits are secluded places.

Dingo dog lifestyle

The dingo is a nocturnal animal. They live mainly on the edges of forests and in dry thickets of eucalyptus trees. Dog dens are often located in caves or mountains. Required condition- location near the reservoir.

Dingo enemies are called dogs and jackals brought by Europeans. Large birds of prey prey on puppies.

In family flocks, the number of animals is from 12 individuals. There is a strict hierarchy. Fights and a sense of fear become the principle of construction.

One pair is considered dominant and breeds. Dingoes breed once a year. There are up to 8 puppies in a litter. The offspring are looked after by the mother and father. All members of the pack bring food to matured puppies.

Training and education

It is extremely difficult to tame an adult Dingo. People are treated with suspicion. The character is extremely complex, it is not necessary to wait for devotion. Usually dogs agree to cooperate with their owners, but there are exceptions to any rule.

To tame a wild animal, you will need to pick up the baby from his parents as a puppy. Puppies are well brought up. But training is beyond the power of a beginner. It takes skill and patience. Raising a Dingo puppy consists in learning:

1. Getting used to the collar and leash. Accessories are difficult to put on an adult dog, the puppy will also begin to resist. It is better to offer him accessories like toys first. When the baby gnaws and bites, he will understand that there is nothing to be afraid of and will allow him to put it on.
2. Obedience and leadership. Packing instincts are extremely pronounced in the breed; a young dog will need to be put in its place. From childhood, the puppy is invited to communicate with people, play. If education is successful, a devotee will grow up and loving friend families.
3. Pulling on protection. Watchman - best appointment for Dingo. You need to go through a special training course.

Dingo training is a laborious process. Considering that animals are distrustful of people, educate in adult dog devotion and love is almost impossible! If you take a puppy home, you will get a playful pet, with great pleasure starting to run, play, dig. However, the beast remains an unpredictable and dangerous predator.

Dingo at home

It is not customary to keep dogs at home. In Asia, dingo meat is eaten. But those who want to have such a pet remain. AT special care the dog doesn't need it. It is unpretentious in food, resistant to diseases, gets along with other breeds of dogs.

If we draw an analogy with domesticated, tamed wolves, the Australian dingo dog is a pet of one owner. If the owner is replaced, the dog will not endure it, run away, wither or die. Dingo is attached to the owner with all his heart. Remember the ancient strongest hunting instinct. The cattle breeder will not risk leaving a dog next to the sheep.

If you feel ready to get a Dingo puppy, the desire to stand out as an outlandish dog has won, you should know:

• eat any food;
• make sure the dog gets right amount vitamins, minerals and essential trace elements, staying strong and healthy

Strong immunity is considered strong point. Unfortunately, the wild dog Dingo will never be fully domesticated. Completely trustworthy is unlikely.

The dog will take care of the rest. it guard dog rather than a home companion.

Basic information about the breed

The Australian Dingo is a breed of wild dog in Australia. These dogs are often referred to as wild dingo dogs. They can be considered as representatives of the subspecies of dogs and subspecies of the wolf. Interestingly, Dingo can "sing". Singing is their special ability to howl. Representatives of this breed give out vibrating sounds, change the tone, which in the music world is called portamento. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (ICF) does not recognize this breed as a dog breed. At home, only a few are engaged in breeding these dogs. Some succeed in taming feral dingoes.

The main feature of the Australian dingo is that these dogs have become feral again. They came to the Australian continent from Asia along with settlers. Here, for some reason, they did not begin to live with people and became wild. As a result, there appeared new breed. Experts suggest that this happened due to the fact that before them there were no other varieties of wolves, jackals, dogs, etc. on the Australian continent. If they were, then the dingo, mixing with them, would disappear as a breed. And dingoes here became a unique breed and then again came to the Asian region.

By our time, the Australian dingo has spread throughout the continent. It can also be found in southeast Asia in countries such as Malaysia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Borneo, Philippines. Also, populations of this breed are found in Laos and China (southeastern part). Dogs like to live in deserts, plains, wooded areas, mountains. They need a hot climate. Often dingoes live close to people and feed on food waste. On the Australian continent this dog is a threat to farmers. Sheep and rabbits become the object of hunting for dingoes. The dog population has grown a lot here and now they are causing serious damage to the farm.

Basic breed data

• Coloring - red, reddish, sandy (sometimes it is white);
• Wool - thick, small length, hard;
• Height - from 25 to 60 cm;
• Weight - from 9 to 24 kg;
• Life expectancy - from 8 to 14 kg.

History and characteristics of the breed

At first Australian dingoes considered the indigenous species of the Australian continent. In fact, the dingo is the only predatory mammal of this size here. The researchers then noticed that the dog lacked the marsupiality that is present in many Australian species. As a result, they managed to prove that the Australian dingo is just a species that came from outside. There are no indigenous predatory mammals in Australia itself. It was possible to establish that dingoes were brought to Australia by settlers from Asia about 4 thousand years ago. As an ancestor of these dogs, such a species as the Indian gray wolf is considered.

In Australia, dingoes ran wild and multiplied fairly quickly. This was facilitated by favorable conditions for them: the absence of predators, a lot of food and habitats not occupied by people. And Australian dingoes short time spread throughout the continent. As time went on, farmers began to raise livestock on an industrial scale. From that moment on, dingoes turned into enemies of man. It was not possible to tame the dogs again. In addition, semi-domesticated dogs lost their fear of humans and continued to attack livestock. As a result, in order to separate the habitat of wild dingoes from the land for sheep breeding (in the southeast of the continent), a 1000 km long fence was built.

There is another problem created by the Australian dingo. With the growth of farm production in Australia, the population of some rare species animals on the continent. To save them, animals began to be placed in special natural parks. Wild dingoes liked it very much and now they destroy marsupials there. In New Guinea, in the 58th year of the last century, a variety of the Australian dingo was found. They were smaller. When they began to do research, it turned out that this breed lives in many parts of Southeast Asia. In addition, the local population here willingly breeds these dogs for the purpose of eating. For people in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, dingo meat is one of the few sources of protein. In Australia, it is forbidden to breed these dogs, but there are still breeders. Only they breed them not for eating, but as watchdogs.

External signs of the breed

This is a medium sized dog with an excellent build. Dingoes have a slender body, strong muscular limbs. The head of the dogs is proportional in size, the ears are erect, the muzzle is square, and the jaws are large fangs. The tail is fluffy in the form of a saber great length. It can be in the region of 28-36 centimeters. Dingo eyes are brown. The height at the withers lies in the range of 25-60 centimeters, and the weight is from 9 to 24 kilograms. The Australian Dingo has a thick, short and coarse coat. If a this species lives in the mountains, then their wool is thicker there.

Dingo coloring is most often found in reddish, sandy and reddish colors. On the muzzle and belly, the coat color is more light shades. Australian dingoes with a white color are much less common. Hybrids may have black coats and limbs light color. In fact, there are no clear established standards for this breed, and basically, if the dog is not red, then it is considered a hybrid.

Character

The Australian dingo has a wild nature and is quite complex. Dingoes look at people with suspicion, do not like them and do not feel loyalty. There can be only some cooperation in the process of taming. However, there are exceptions to the rule.

Training and taming

The Australian dingo cannot be trained. Parenting takes a lot of patience. Needless to say, this should be done by professionals. Up to a year, dingo dogs experience some affection for the owner and parents. After this age, the dog ceases to perceive both owners and parents.

The health of these dogs is strong, they do not need human care and live right on outdoors. During natural selection in a dingo population, the fittest and strongest survive.

Australian dingo food

Dogs of this breed are omnivorous and can eat almost anything. If possible, then most often dogs hunt wallabies, kangaroos. When this food is not available, they prey on birds, rabbits, rodents. In the event of a drought, lack of food, dingo dogs begin to attack sheep and cows. They do a good job of this task, using the method of hunting in packs. Dingoes living in Asia are more likely to feed on human waste. They live next to a person, near settlements, landfills, etc. They eat fish, rice, crabs, fruits and other foods. Dingoes in Asia lack protein in their diet and for this reason are noticeably smaller in size than the Australian dingo.

Australian dingo use

With the right professional upbringing, they make good watchmen.

The name "Dingo" probably comes from "Tingo" - the word that the natives of Port Jackson called their dogs. Fossil remains indicate that dingoes were brought to Australia by immigrants from Southeast Asia, as an option - from the Malay Archipelago.

History of the origin of the breed Australian Dingo

In Vietnam, the oldest dingo skull was found, which is about 5500 years old. Also, remains of 2500-5000 years old are found in other parts of Southeast Asia. At the same time, the oldest fossilized remains of dingoes found in Australia are approximately 3450 years old. In 2004, studies of the mitochondrial DNA of dingoes were published, which date the appearance of these dogs in Australia to 4000 BC, suggesting. that all Australian dingoes are descended from this small group.

Abandoned and escaped dingoes have found excellent living conditions in Australia, where the climate is warm, there are few enemies and competitors, and there is a lot of food. Dogs multiplied and settled throughout the continent and nearby islands. They did not get only to Tasmania.

Dingoes gather in packs, and group hunting gives them an advantage over lone marsupial predators. It is even believed that dingoes caused the extinction of a number of marsupials, including the largest native predator, the marsupial wolf.

The ability to hunt in packs gave them an important advantage over solitary marsupial predators. Presumably, dingoes caused the extinction of a number of marsupials, including the largest native predator, the marsupial wolf (thylacine).

There is also an opinion that the dingo is an almost purebred descendant of the domesticated Indian wolf, whose wild specimens are still found on the Hindustan Peninsula and in Balochistan.

In 1958, a wild dog was discovered in the forests of New Guinea, similar to a dingo, but only smaller. And recently, a wild Carolina dog was discovered in the southeastern United States, which also looks like an Australian dingo.

Currently, wild dingo dogs are distributed throughout Australia, especially in the central, northern and western parts. And in other countries: Southeast Asia, Thailand, Myanmar, southeast China, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, Philippines, New Guinea.

Dingoes now occupy an important place in Australia's ecology because are the main population of mammalian predators on the continent, during the settlement of which they displaced local predators, and occupied the biological niche of creatures capable of regulating the population of herbivores, and rabbits that breed in Australia in huge quantities. At the same time, they help some species of aboriginal fauna not to disappear, destroying feral cats and foxes.

In the 19th century, sheep breeding began to develop among the settlers. It has become an important branch of the Australian economy, in connection with which dingoes that hunted sheep began to be massively destroyed with poison, traps, and shot :(. In 1880, these measures were not enough, and the construction of the "Dog Fence" (a huge fence made of mesh, which used to fence off areas of sheep pasture, protecting herds from dingoes and pastures from rabbits.) In the 1960s, separate sections of the fence were connected together, resulting in a huge barrier that was interrupted only at highway crossings. Now the fence stretches from the city of Toowoomba about The Great Australian Bight, 8500 km long, the longest man-made structure, special patrols are on duty along the fence, which close holes in the net, rabbit holes and tunnels, and kill dingoes that crawl through the fence.

Dingo people are rarely attacked, but there have been precedents. For example, the trial of the Australian Chamberlain family is known. Their nine-month-old daughter Azaria was dragged away by a dingo, and her parents were initially blamed for her death.

Although there are enthusiasts who seek to re-domesticate dingoes, keeping them as pets is prohibited in some countries. In Asia, the meat of wild dingo dogs (as well as other dogs) is eaten with pleasure by the local population :(.

Features of the breed Australian dingo, diet, habitat and lifestyle

Mostly dingoes are nocturnal animals. They like to be in dry eucalyptus thickets, in semi-deserts in the depths of the mainland, and on the edges of humid forests. These dogs usually make their lairs near water bodies, in abandoned burrows, caves or among the roots of trees, where there is shelter. In Asia, dingoes "graze" near people's dwellings, and they feed on the garbage of the Lair, they arrange them in caves, empty burrows, among tree roots, usually not far from water bodies. In Asia, dingoes keep close to human habitation, feeding on garbage.

About 60% of the diet of a wild dingo dog is made up of small mammals (in particular, rabbits), and they also hunt kangaroos and wallabies, sometimes birds, reptiles, and insects. Periodically they feed on carrion and steal livestock from peasant lands, although as it turned out, livestock make up only 4% of the dingo's diet, as dogs often slaughter sheep without eating them. As mentioned above, in Asia, dingoes often feed on food waste, and also occasionally catch rats and lizards.

Dingoes are pack dogs. Family packs usually number from 3 to 12 individuals, like wolves that gather around a dominant pair. Each family group defends its hunting ground from other families. And within each group there is a strict hierarchy. However, young dingoes are solitary until they "find their destiny" and only huddle together when hunting big game.

The mating season for Australian dingoes happens once a year in March-April, and for Asian dingoes in August-September. Dingoes are monogamous, and choose one partner for life. Pregnancy lasts 63 days, as in normal dogs. The female gives birth in her lair. There are usually 6-8 puppies in a litter, born blind but covered with hair. Both parents take care of the offspring. Puppies don't stay children for long. At the age of three weeks, the mother stops feeding them milk, and they leave their native den for the first time. By eight weeks they already live together with other members of the pack, while, somewhere up to twelve weeks, all members of the pack bring them food and water, which they burp, and feed the puppies. And at 3-4 months, puppies are already fully capable, and go hunting with adults.

Life expectancy in nature for dingoes is about 10 years, and in captivity about 13.

Purebred dingoes now live mainly in national parks and other protected areas, because dingoes and common domestic dogs interbreed easily, and there are entire populations of hybrid wild dingoes. Mestizo dingoes are more aggressive, and breed twice a year, so they pose a greater threat to livestock.

"It's indescribable!" said the Australian dingo, looking sadly at the baobab.

Appearance of the Australian Dingo

Standard FCI breeds not recognized.
General form and description: well-built (hound-like physique) dogs medium size. Males are much larger than females, and Asian dingoes are smaller than Australian ones, apparently due to a lack of protein food. They never bark, but they can howl and growl.

Height at the withers: 47-67 cm.
Body length with head: 86-122 cm.
Tail: 26-38 cm, fluffy, saber-shaped.
Weight: from 9.5 to 19 kg.
Muzzle: square.
Ears: small, erect.
Coat: Dingoes have short and thick fur.
Color: typical - rusty-red or reddish-brown, on the muzzle and lighter on the stomach. Occasionally there are almost black, white and piebald. In the southeast of Australia, there is a gray-white dingo breed. There are black and tan dingoes (like a Rottweiler). They are considered dingo hybrids with domestic dogs.

1. Wild dog dingo - a representative of the canine family from the genus of wolves.

The dingo is the only large non-marsupial mammal found on the Australian continent when it was discovered. Is the dingo a true wild dog or is it descended from domestic dog, which came to Australia along with the first settlers, caused a lot of controversy.

2. Scientists who are well known physical signs domestication, they have no doubt that the dingo is a domestic animal that has become feral a second time. Therefore, the version that the wild dog Dingo is one of the unique breeds of dogs that was once domesticated and then wild again is considered correct.

3. Brehm's assertion that the dingo run is the run of "a real wild dog not seen in any domestic dog" is fundamentally wrong; Eskimo dogs, much more than dingoes, resemble wolves and jackals in their movements.

4. To date, this breed of dog is the only placental predator that lives in Australia. The name of this breed of dog comes from the word "tingo", which locals called dogs.

5. This is a very controversial breed of dogs, disputes about which have been going on for quite a long time in the scientific world. For example, it is not known for certain how dingoes got to Australia. The very first theory tells us that these wild dogs were brought to the mainland by natives 40-50 thousand years ago. But this version was destroyed thanks to a dingo skull found in Vietnam, which, according to scientists, is about 5,500 years old. As a result of this discovery, it was suggested that dogs crossed over land during that period of the existence of our planet, when the continents were not yet separated from each other.

australian dingo

6. Wild dog dingo looks ordinary dog medium sizes. She has a fairly strong physique and well-developed muscles. Body length 90-110 cm, legs short, head heavy. In height, dingoes can reach from 47 to 67 centimeters, and weigh from 9.6 to 19 kilograms. The largest individuals found in nature weighed about 24 kilograms.

7. The body of the dingo dog is completely covered with rather thick and short fur. Most often in nature there are dogs painted in red or brown shades. Less often - black, white or piebald dogs.

8. Dingoes are characterized by white "stockings" or stars, and the tip of their tail is almost always white, and in different individuals these marks are distributed differently - a feature that is never observed in wild animals, but is constantly found in all domestic breeds.

9. There is no doubt that a man brought the dingo to Australia, and that the dingo became isolated from him as the culture of the Australians regressed. The same factor that may have caused this regression - the slowness of most marsupials and the ease of hunting them - probably contributed to the complete savagery of the Australian dog.

10. Dingoes are the main mammalian predators of Australia and occupy an important place in the ecology of the continent. When it settled, they forced out local predators, occupying the biological niche of a creature that regulates the number of herbivores.

11. They also prevent the extinction of some species of native fauna, destroying its enemies - feral cats and foxes, although they themselves have caused the extinction of some species of marsupials. Dingoes also help regulate the population of common rabbits brought to Australia and bred here in huge numbers.

12. In Australia, dingoes that escaped or abandoned by their owners found excellent living conditions - a lot of game, the absence of enemies and serious competitors, multiplied and settled throughout the continent and the nearest islands, not only reaching Tasmania.

13. Dingo is a nocturnal and twilight animal, they keep in small flocks. The ability to hunt in packs gave them an important advantage over predominantly solitary marsupial predators.

14. Dingo raids on livestock caused farmers to start destroying dingoes.

15. Wild dog dingo has a high intelligence.

16. Unlike domestic dogs, purebred dingoes cannot bark. They only growl or howl.

17. The dingo dog lives in Australia, it is widespread throughout almost the entire territory of the mainland. The largest number of these animals falls on the northern, western and central part Australia. also in small quantities the dingo dog lives in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines, Laos, Borneo, Indonesia, Southeast China, Malaysia and New Guinea).

Asian dingo

18. In Australia, the dingo lives mainly in eucalyptus thickets, semi-deserts and forests. The dingo dog lives in a den, which usually settles in a cave, tree roots, empty burrows, and most often not far from a body of water. In Asia, the dingo lives next to humans, as it feeds on waste. The Asian dingo also feeds on snakes, lizards and rats.

19. Dingo feeds mainly on small mammals, including rabbits, but also hunts kangaroos and wallabies. In addition, the dingo feeds on birds, reptiles, insects and carrion. When mass cattle breeding began on the mainland, the wild dog of Australia began to attack him.

20. Farmers in Australia "dingo" can call a vile and cowardly person. This is not surprising, since throughout the history of animal husbandry in Australia, dingoes have been the worst enemies of farmers. In one night, the flock could be reduced by more than 20 sheep. And this is only as a result of the "late dinner" of one family of dingoes, usually consisting of 4-12 dogs. At one time they were subjected to cruel and uncompromising extermination.

21. Male dingoes differ from females in their larger size and greater weight. The appearance of a dingo is closest to that of a hound dog.

22. The history of the dingo dog is full of mysteries and mysteries. The most common version of the origin of the dingo dog breed is the one in which it was brought from Asia. The dingo dog was brought to the mainland in boats by fishermen who sailed from Asia more than 5 thousand years ago. The dingo dog breed spread very quickly and became faithful assistant for the Australian Aborigines. Dingo dogs guarded the dwelling of man and helped him on the hunt. However, over time, people left the faithful dogs, then they became wild.

23. There are several more versions about the origin of the wild dingo dog and its appearance on the Australian continent.

24. The first version: the dingo dog arrived in Australia about 4000 years ago along with immigrants from Asia.

25. Another version: dingoes are direct descendants of the domestic Crested Chinese dog that appeared on the continent about 6,000 years ago.

26. It is also likely that the ancestors of the dingo are Indian wolves and pario dogs.

27. Initially, the attitude of settlers towards dingoes was tolerant, but the situation quickly changed in the 19th century, when sheep breeding became an important branch of the Australian economy. Dingoes that hunted sheep were caught with traps, shot and poisoned. AT late XIX centuries, in New South Wales alone, farmers annually spent several tons of strychnine to fight wild dogs.

28. The dingo dog lives most often alone, with the exception of the mating season. However, dingoes can gather in groups to hunt large prey. Usually a flock of dingoes consists of 3-12 individuals, in which the dominant pair rules. The laws of the pack of dingoes are the same as those of wolves - a strict hierarchy is observed in the pack. Each flock has its own hunting area, which it carefully guards.

29. The dingo has excellent eyesight and hearing, besides, the dingo animal is very smart, dexterous and quick-witted. The most main feature The nature of the dingo is extreme caution, which helps them successfully bypass traps and poisoned baits. Only jackals compete with this dog of Australia.

30. In Asia, people eat dingo meat for food.

Dingo and domestic dog hybrids

31. In the natural environment, the animal dingo and domestic dogs often interbreed, so hybrids predominate in the wild. The only exceptions are those dingoes that live in protected areas in the national parks of Australia.

32. Hybrids formed from crossing the Australian dingo and domestic dogs are more dangerous, as they are more aggressive. In addition, non-purebred dingoes breed 2 times a year, in contrast to purebred dingoes, in which offspring are bred once a year.

33. In a flock where dingoes live, only the dominant pair can produce offspring. When another female breeds puppies, the dominant female kills them. All members of the flock take care of the cubs of the main pair.

34. Keeping dingoes as pets is prohibited.

35. Enemies for adult dingoes are crocodiles, for young individuals these are pythons, monitor lizards and large birds of prey.

Dingo with gray and white coat

36. In the southeastern part of Australia, there is a unique breed of dingo with a gray-white coat.

37. Keeping these dogs at home is not accepted, and in some countries it is completely forbidden to keep dingoes as a pet. But some people still give birth to these animals. They claim that the Australian dingo is an excellent and unpretentious dog that is loyal and gets along well with other dogs living in the house.

38. In captivity, the dingo animal does not take root well and often runs away, although some Australians manage to tame them. Of course, it is best to tame a dingo as a puppy; it is almost impossible to tame adults. It should always be remembered that this dog of Australia is primarily a wild predator and can be quite unpredictable.

39. Cases of an Australian dingo attacking a person are extremely rare. It is believed that purebred dingoes do not attack people, but there are exceptions to any rule. One such case in Australia in 1980 was the death of a nine-week-old girl who was dragged away by a dingo.

40. In the wild, a dingo dog lives up to 10 years, in captivity up to 13 years.

41. Animal dingo becomes capable of breeding offspring at the age of 1-3 years. The gestation period for this Australian dog is 3 months.

42. Usually the Australian dingo dog gives birth to 6-8 dingo puppies. Dingo puppies are born blind and covered with hair.

43. At the age of 1 month, dingo puppies are already leaving the den, and soon the female stops feeding them with milk. By the age of 2 months, dingo puppies finally leave the den and live with adults. Both parents take care of the babies.

44. Up to 3 months, the mother and other members of the pack help feed the puppies and bring them prey. By the age of 4 months, dingo puppies are already independent and, together with adult dogs, go hunting.

45. In Australian dingoes, the mating season begins in March-April, while in Asian dingoes it falls on August-September.

46. ​​When measures to protect sheep from dingoes were not enough, in the 1880s. construction began on a huge mesh fence enclosing sections of sheep pastures in southern Queensland to protect livestock from dingoes, and pastures from breeding rabbits. In the 1960s separate sections of the fence were connected together to form a barrier, interrupted only at the intersection of highways.

47.On this moment the fence stretched for 8,500 km - from the city of Toowoomba in Queensland to the Great Australian Bight, separating the arid northwestern part of Australia from the relatively fertile one; it is the longest structure built by humans.

48. Maintenance of the fence in due order annually costs the states of Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia approx. 15 million Australian dollars. Special patrols ply along the fence, looking for damage in the net and underground holes made by rabbits or wombats, and destroying dingoes that have penetrated the fence.

49. It is believed that the dingo is the wildest dog in existence.

50. Wild dogs similar to dingoes are still known to science. These animals live in New Guinea. This breed of dog is called the New Guinea Singer. Wild dogs got such an interesting name for a reason. The thing is that the howl of these animals resembles the singing of birds or even whales, but it has nothing to do with the sounds that dogs of other breeds make.