Nature Notes - Dingo

Features

Dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) have pricked ears, bushy tails and a distinctive trotting gait. Their coats are typically ginger but some are sandy-yellow, red-yellow or occasionally black and tan. Most have white markings on their feet, tail tip and chest.

Adaptations

Dingoes don’t bark, they howl. They have 3 different types of howls: moans, bark/howls and snuffs. Howling is used for long distance communications to attract pack members and repel rivals. Although dingoes are often seen alone, many belong to socially interacted packs whose members meet every few days.

Habitat

Dingoes hunt in the desert woolands, desert rivers and sand country and sleep in the rocky gorges.

Range

The size of a dingo packs territory varies with prey resources and terrain. Their home range in desert Australia is 25-67km.

Wild Status

There are around 200,000 Dingoes in Desert Australia 20% are believed to be domestic dog hybrids. Sadly they are absent over much of there former range in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Diet

Dingoes eat a diverse range of prey items such as insects, rabbits, rodents, lizards and red kangaroos.

Predators

Young Dingoes are preyed on by Wedge Tailed Eagle.

Home

Dingoes shelter in dens, this might be a hollow log, a cave or an enlarged rabbit warren.

Life Span

Dingoes can live up to 8-10 years

Size

Dingoes grow up to 60cm high & weigh up to 15 kilograms

Reproduction

Dingoes breed once a year. The females come on heat for a few days around the middle of the year and the pups are born nine weeks later. The young stay with their mother until the end of their first summer to learn to hunt.

Extra Fun Facts

The Dingo is a primitive dog that evolved from the Plains Wolf of India. It is believed that Asian seafarers brought dingoes to Australia 4000-6000 years ago.

Comparison

Compare with Coyote of the Sonoran Desert