Bush dog
Template:Short description Template:Use MDY dates Template:Speciesbox The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a canine found in Central and South America.<ref name="msw3" /><ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru;<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="Beiseigel2005" /> it was first described by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils in Brazilian caves and was believed to be extinct.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" />
The bush dog is the only extant species in the genus Speothos,<ref name="msw3" /> and genetic evidence suggests that its closest living relative is the maned wolf of central South America<ref name="Wayne1997">Template:Cite journal</ref> or the African wild dog.<ref name="Nyakatura2012">Template:Cite journal</ref> The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref><ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In Brazil, it is called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('vinegar dog') and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('bush dog'). In Spanish-speaking countries, it is called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('vinegar dog'), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('vinegar fox'), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('water dog'), and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('shrub or woodland dog').
DescriptionEdit
Adult bush dogs have soft long brownish-tan fur, with a lighter reddish tinge on the head, neck and back and a bushy tail, while the underside is dark, sometimes with a lighter throat patch. Younger individuals, however, have black fur over their entire bodies.<ref name="Beiseigel2005">Template:Cite journal</ref> Adults typically have a head-body length of Template:Convert, with a Template:Convert tail. They have a shoulder height of Template:Convert and weigh Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Better source needed They have short legs relative to their body, as well as a short snout and relatively small ears.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" />
The teeth are adapted for its carnivorous habits. Uniquely for an American canid, the dental formula is Template:DentalFormula for a total of 38 teeth.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" /> The bush dog is one of three canid species (the other two being the dhole and the African wild dog) with trenchant heel dentition, having a single cusp on the talonid of the lower carnassial tooth that increases the cutting blade length.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" /> Females have four pairs of teats and both sexes have large scent glands on either side of the anus.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" /> Bush dogs have partially webbed toes, which allow them to swim more efficiently.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref>
GeneticsEdit
Speothos has a diploid chromosome number of 74.<ref name="ADW" /> This makes it unable to produce fertile hybrids with other canid species.Template:Citation needed
Distribution and habitatEdit
Bush dogs are found from Costa Rica<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in Central America and through much of South America east of the Andes, as far south as central Bolivia, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. They primarily inhabit lowland forests up to Template:Convert elevation,<ref name="Beiseigel2005" /> wet savannas and other habitats near rivers, but may also be found in drier cerrado and open pasture.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> The historic range of this species may have extended as far north as Costa Rica where the species may still be found in suitable habitat.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> New, repeated observations of bush dog groups have been recorded in east-central (Barbilla National Park) and south-eastern (La Amistad International Park) Costa Rica, and a substantial portion of the Talamanca Mountains up to Template:Cvt to the north-northwest and at elevations up to Template:Cvt.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Very recent fossils dating from 300 AD to 900 AD (the Late Ceramic Age) have been found in the Manzanilla site on the eastern coast of Trinidad.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
There are three recognised subspecies:<ref name="msw3" /><ref name="Beiseigel2005" />
- The South American bush dog (Speothos venaticus venaticus), with a range including southern Colombia and Venezuela, the Guyanas, most of Brazil, eastern Ecuador and Peru, Bolivia, and northern Paraguay.
- The Panamanian bush dog (Speothos venaticus panamensis), with a range including Panama, northern Colombia and Venezuela, western Ecuador.
- The southern bush dog (Speothos venaticus wingei), with a range including southern Brazil and Paraguay, as well as extreme northeastern Argentina. The first camera trap photos of this species in Argentina were obtained in April 2016 from the Selva Paranaense Don Otto Ecological Private Reserve, located in Eldorado Department of the Misiones province of Argentina.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal Bilingual, English/Spanish.</ref>
BehaviorEdit
Bush dogs are carnivores and hunt during the day. Their typical prey are pacas, agoutis, acouchis and capybaras, all large rodents.<ref name="ADW">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although they can hunt alone, bush dogs are usually found in small packs. The dogs can bring down much larger prey, including peccaries and rheas, and a pack of six dogs has even been reported hunting a Template:Convert tapir, where they trailed the animal and nipped at its legs until it was felled. When hunting paca, part of the pack chases it on land and part wait for it in the water, where it often retreats.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" />
Bush dogs appear to be the most gregarious South American canid species. They use hollow logs and cavities such as armadillo burrows for shelter. Packs consist of a single mated pair and their immediate relations, and have a home range of Template:Convert.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" /> Only the adult pair breed, while the other members of the pack are subordinate, and help with rearing and guarding any pups.<ref name="Macdonald1996">Template:Cite journal</ref> Packmates keep in contact with frequent whines, perhaps because visibility is poor in the undergrowth where they typically hunt.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> While eating large prey, parents position themselves at either ends of the animal, making it easier for the pups to disembowel it.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" />
ReproductionEdit
Bush dogs mate throughout the year; oestrus lasts up to twelve days and occurs every 15 to 44 days.<ref name="Porton1987">Template:Cite journal</ref> Like many other canids, bush dog mating includes a copulatory tie, during which the animals are locked together.<ref name="Porton1987" /> Urine-marking plays a significant role in their pre-copulatory behavior.<ref>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Gestation lasts from 65 to 83 days and normally results in the birth of a litter of three to six pups, although larger litters of up to 10 have been reported.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" /> The young are born blind and helpless and initially weigh Template:Convert. The eyes open after 14 to 19 days and the pups first emerge from the nativity den shortly thereafter.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" /> The young are weaned at around four weeks and reach sexual maturity at one year.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> They can live for up to 10 years in captivity.<ref name="Beiseigel2005" />
ConservationEdit
Bush dogs are among the least-studied canines, and their conservation efforts are still in early stages. Due to their rarity, when bush dog bones were discovered in a cave in 1839, paleontologist Peter Wilhelm Lund mistakenly believed they were extinct.<ref name=":0" /> Living individuals were later found.
Research shows they are generalists capable of thriving in diverse habitats. However, conservation is challenging due to their dense habitats and sparse, scattered populations, making them difficult to locate. Bush dogs require large, undisturbed territories to support their pack-based lifestyle, and they are notably shy.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists bush dogs as Near Threatened due to a population decline of approximately 20–25% over the past 12 years.<ref name=":2" /> The main threats include habitat loss (particularly from deforestation for wood, cattle farming, and palm oil production), loss of prey due to human hunting, and diseases contracted from domestic dogs. Habitat loss, especially through Amazonian clear-cutting, is the most significant threat, while disease transmission from unvaccinated domestic dogs has also become a growing concern due to human encroachment.
Hunting bush dogs is illegal in most of their range, including countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, Panama, and Argentina. However, Guyana and Suriname lack explicit hunting bans for bush dogs, and many countries in the bush dog’s range have limited resources to enforce existing wildlife laws.
To better understand and protect bush dogs, scientists are experimenting with various monitoring methodsTemplate:When. Traditional camera traps have proven ineffective due to bush dogs' elusive nature, so researchers are now using scent-detection dogs to locate bush dog burrows.<ref name=":1" /> This approach aims to provide valuable insights into their habitat use, prey preferences, and pack dynamics, including when cubs leave the pack. Protected areas such as the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve may support stable populations.
In a positive development, bush dogs were recently captured on camera traps in Costa Rica's Talamanca Mountains in 2020, suggesting they may be expanding their range northward and into higher elevations. This could indicate that with dedicated conservation efforts, bush dogs may stabilize or even increase in numbers.