African golden wolf
| Canis anthus Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene – Recent 0.6-0 Ma
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|---|---|
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| Canis anthus bea in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Genus: | Canis |
| Species: | C. anthus
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| Binomial name | |
| Canis anthus F. Cuvier, 1820
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| Subspecies | |
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The African golden wolf (Canis anthus[2]) is a canine. It usually lives in North Africa and the Horn of Africa. There are many of them in Senegal, Nigeria, Chad, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Kenya and Egypt, and in Tanzania. It is considered a Least Concern species.[3]
In the Atlas Mountains, it was seen in altitudes as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft). It is mostly a predator. It usually eats invertebrates and mammals as large as gazelle fawns, though larger animals are also sometimes eaten. Its diet also includes dead animals, rubbish, and fruit. The African golden wolf does not like other African golden wolves going or entering their areas. The young ones often remain with the family to help in raising their parents' younger pups.
Description
[change | change source]The African golden wolf has long snouts and ears. It also has a short tail. The tail is 20 cm long. The color of the fur depends on the season and where they live. They usually have yellowish to silvery grey fur. They also have almost reddish legs. The throat, abdomen and face are usually white, and the eyes are amber-colored.[4]
Feeding
[change | change source]In West Africa, the African golden wolf mostly eats small prey. They include: hares, rats, ground squirrels and cane rats, lizards, snakes, and birds that build their nests on the ground, like francolins and bustards. The African golden wolf eats a lot of insects, like dung beetles, larvae, termites and grasshoppers. It will also kill young gazelles, duikers and warthogs.[5] In East Africa, it eats invertebrates and fruit. It also eats other animals like, rodents, lizards, snakes, birds, hares and Thomson's gazelles.[6]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Hoffmann, M. & Atickem, A. (2019). "Canis lupaster". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T118264888A118265889.
- ↑ Orrell, T. Roskov Y.; Abucay L.; Orrell T. "Canis anthus F. Cuvier, 1820".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Hoffmann, M. & Atickem, A. (2019). "Canis lupaster".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Estes, R. (1992). The behavior guide to African mammals: including hoofed mammals, carnivores, primates. ISBN 0-520-08085-8.
- ↑ Rosevear, Donovan Reginald (1974). The carnivores of West Africa. ISBN 1-175-10030-7.
- ↑ Jhala, Y. V. & Moehlman, P. D. (2004). "Golden jackal Canis aureus" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Other websites
[change | change source]
Media related to Canis lupaster at Wikimedia Commons
