Editing Dingo (section)

====Interactions with other animals====

Much of the present place of wild dogs in the Australian ecosystem, especially in the urban areas, remains unknown. Although the ecological role of dingoes in Northern and Central Australia is well understood, the same does not apply to the role of wild dogs in the east of the continent. In contrast to some claims,<ref name="Hass">{{cite web|title=Breeding Lethal Weapons of Mass Destruction Sanctioned|url=http://www.sosnews.org/attachments/dingo2.htm|publisher=Save Our Snowy|access-date=9 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208182733/http://www.sosnews.org/attachments/dingo2.htm|archive-date=8 December 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> dingoes are assumed to have a positive impact on biodiversity in areas where feral foxes are present.<ref>Letnic M, Baker L, Nesbitt B, 2013. "Ecologically functional landscapes and the role of dingoes as trophic regulators in south-eastern Australia and other habitats". Ecological Management and Restoration, Vol 14(2) 1–5.</ref>

Dingoes are regarded as [[apex predator]]s and possibly perform an ecological key function. Likely (with increasing evidence from scientific research), they control the diversity of the ecosystem by limiting the number of prey and keeping the competition in check. Wild dogs hunt feral livestock such as goats and pigs, as well as native prey and [[Invasive species|introduced animals]]. The low number of [[Feral goats in Australia|feral goats]] in Northern Australia is possibly caused by the presence of the dingoes, but whether they control the goats' numbers is still disputable. Studies from 1995 in the northern wet forests of Australia found the dingoes there did not reduce the number of [[feral pigs]], but their predation only affects the pig population together with the presence of water buffaloes (which hinder the pigs' access to food).<ref>{{cite journal|ref=none|last1=Corbett|first1=L|title=Does Dingo Predation or Buffalo Competition Regulate Feral Pig Populations in the Australian Wet-Dry Tropics? An Experimental Study|journal=Wildlife Research|volume=22|pages=65–74|year=1995|doi=10.1071/WR9950065}}</ref>

Observations concerning the mutual impact of dingoes and red fox and cat populations suggest dingoes limit the access of foxes and cats to certain resources. As a result, a disappearance of the dingoes may cause an increase of red fox and [[feral cat]] numbers, and therefore, a higher pressure on native animals. These studies found the presence of dingoes is one of the factors that keep fox numbers in an area low, and therefore reduces pressure on native animals, which then do not disappear from the area. The countrywide numbers of red foxes are especially high where dingo numbers are low, but other factors might be responsible for this, depending on the area.<ref name="regulator">{{cite journal|title=Evaluating the role of the dingo as a trophic regulator in Australian ecosystems|doi=10.1111/j.1442-8903.2008.00402.x|year=2008|last1=Claridge|first1=Andrew W.|last2=Hunt|first2=Rob|journal=Ecological Management & Restoration|volume=9|issue=2|page=116}}</ref> Evidence was found for a competition between wild dogs and red foxes in the [[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)|Blue Mountains]] of New South Wales, since many overlaps occurred in the spectrum of preferred prey, but only evidence for local competition, not on a grand scale, was found.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mitchell|first1=Bruce D.|last2=Banks|first2=Peter B.|title=Do wild dogs exclude foxes? Evidence for competition from dietary and spatial overlaps|journal=Austral Ecology|volume=30|pages=581–91|year=2005|doi=10.1111/j.1442-9993.2005.01473.x|issue=5|bibcode=2005AusEc..30..581M }}</ref>

Also, dingoes can live with red foxes and feral cats without reducing their numbers in areas with sufficient food resources (for example, high rabbit numbers) and hiding places. Nearly nothing is known about the relationship of wild dogs and feral cats, except both mostly live in the same areas. Although wild dogs also eat cats, whether this affects the cat populations is not known.<ref name="regulator"/>

Additionally, the disappearance of dingoes might increase the prevalence of kangaroo, rabbit, and [[Australian brushturkey]] numbers. In the areas outside the Dingo Fence, the number of [[emu]]s is lower than in the areas inside.  However, the numbers changed depending on the habitat. Since the environment is the same on both sides of the fence, the dingo was assumed to be a strong factor for the regulation of these species.{{clarify|date=May 2014}}<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Pople|first1=A. R.|last2=Grigg|first2=G. C.|last3=Cairns|first3=S. C.|last4=Beard|first4=L. A.|last5=Alexander|first5=P.|title=Trends in the numbers of red kangaroos and emus on either side of the South Australian dingo fence: evidence for predator regulation?|journal=Wildlife Research|volume=27|pages=269–76|year=2000|doi=10.1071/WR99030|issue=3|url=http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:9890/trends_in_RK_Emu.pdf|access-date=27 December 2018|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306105008/http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:9890/trends_in_RK_Emu.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Therefore, some people demand that dingo numbers should be allowed to increase or dingoes should be reintroduced in areas with low dingo populations to lower the pressure on endangered populations of native species and to reintroduce them in certain areas. In addition, the presence of the Australian brushturkey in Queensland increased significantly after dingo baiting was conducted.<ref>{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Brian|title=Stuff the turkeys, dingoes need a break|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/stuff-the-turkeys-dingoes-need-a-break/story-e6freoof-1226612766487|access-date=5 April 2013|newspaper=The Courier-Mail|date=5 April 2013}}</ref>

The dingo's habitat covers most of Australia, but they are absent in the southeast and [[Tasmania]], and an area in the southwest (see map).<ref name="smithC2" /> As Australia's largest extant terrestrial predators,<ref>{{cite web |date=19 October 2018 |title=Dingo dinners: what's on the menu for Australia's top predator? |url=https://theconversation.com/dingo-dinners-whats-on-the-menu-for-australias-top-predator-103846 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019101539/http://theconversation.com/dingo-dinners-whats-on-the-menu-for-australias-top-predator-103846 |archive-date=19 October 2018 |access-date=26 July 2021 |work=The Conversation}}</ref> dingoes prey on mammals up to the size of the large [[red kangaroo]], in addition to the [[grey kangaroo]], [[wombat]], [[wallaby]], [[quoll]], [[Phalangeriformes|possum]]<ref name="animaldiversity.org">{{cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Canis_lupus_dingo/ | title=Canis lupus dingo (Dingo) | website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] | access-date=20 January 2023 | archive-date=1 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201181111/https://www.animaldiversity.org/accounts/Canis_lupus_dingo/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and most other [[marsupials]]; they frequently pursue birds, lizards, fish, crabs, crayfish, eels, snakes, frogs, young crocodiles, larger insects, snails, carrion, human refuse,<ref name="animaldiversity.org"/> and sometimes fallen fruits or seeds.

Dingoes can also be of potential benefit to their environment, as they will hunt Australia's many introduced and invasive species. This includes human-introduced animals such as deer and their offspring ([[sambar deer|sambar]], [[axis deer|chital]], and [[red deer]]) and [[water buffalo]], in addition to the highly invasive rabbits, [[Red foxes in Australia|red foxes]], feral and domestic cats, some feral dogs, sheep, and calves.<ref name="animaldiversity.org"/> Rarely, a pack of dingoes will pursue the larger and more dangerous [[Australian feral camel|dromedary camel]], [[Feral donkeys in Australia|feral donkey]], or [[Brumby|feral horse]]; unattended young animals, or sick, weak, or elderly individuals are at greatest risk.<ref name="smithC2" /><ref name="corbett1995C7" />