African Painted Dog
Scientific Name
Class
Order
Range
Habitat
Estimated Wild Population
More Information
Physical Description
African painted dogs have a richly patterned coat with yellow, white, brown, black, and red markings. Adults are roughly the same size as large domestic dogs, weighing up to 80 pounds and reaching three and a half feet in length. They live and hunt in packs of up to 30 members that allow them to capture much larger animals, including gazelles, impalas, and zebras. The alphas of the pack are typically the only members to breed, although parenting duties are shared by the pack.
Interesting Fact 1
African painted dogs have large round ears that help them regulate body heat and communicate with packmates over long distances.
Interesting Fact 2
Packs have a strict hierarchy formed around a dominant male and dominant female. Females compete fiercely for the dominant role.
Interesting Fact 3
Their midday greeting, where packmates gather to vocalize and thrust their muzzle into each other's face, helps reinforce their social bond.
Species Survival Plan®
We cooperate with other members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to manage the zoo population of this species through a Species Survival Plan®.
Commitment to Care
Lincoln Park Zoo prioritizes individual well-being over everything else. Guided by scientific research, staff and volunteers work to provide the best welfare outcomes for each individual in the zoo’s care.
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Wish List
The Wish List is full of one-of-a-kind items for the zoo’s animals, including nutritious snacks and enrichment items to keep them active and healthy.
Take Action With Us
Wildlife face many daunting challenges—some global, like planet-wide climate change, and some that affect individuals, like an animal ingesting plastic—but now is not the time to despair. None of these problems are too big for us to come together and solve.
