Learn about Dhole, Indian Wild Dog

Introduction of Dhole

The Dhole is a wild dog species that is also known as the Indian Wild Dog because of its appearance.
Dholes were originally found in Asia, North America, and Europe, where they have become extinct. Now can only found in India, .
In India, they can be found in the Central Indian landscape, the Western and Eastern Ghats, and the North-Eastern region of the country, among other places.
Dholes are extremely adaptive and can survive in a broad variety of habitats. Depending on their environment. they can live from deep forest to higher elevations,
It is estimated that the population of this species has decreased drastically in the last decade, and that it now numbers between 4,000 and 10,000 individuals.
Adults, on the other hand, account for only 2200 of this total.
Dholes are designated as 'Endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Dholes are extremely social animals which prefer to live in groups.
Unlike other social animal species, they rarely engage in violence with other members of their pack.
It's even more difficult to figure out who the dominant male is in the pack.
Dhole is capable of running at a speed of 45 kilometres per hour.

Dholes have reddish fur, amber eyes, and erect rounded ears that are upright in the head.
Their lower bodies, such as their chests, abdomens, and paws, are a lighter shade of brown than their upper parts.
White patches can be seen on the lower parts of their legs.
They have a fluffy reddish tail with a darker tip.
Males are heavier than females, but both are comparable in appearance.
The average weight of an adult male dhole is between 15 and 20 kg, whereas the weight of an adult female dhole is between 12 and 17 kg.
They vary in length from 40 to 60 inches, with a tail that can be 10 to 20 inches in length.
Dholes can grow to be up to 20 inches tall on average.
The convex shape of their craniums distinguishes them from other species.

Dholes can live for up to 10–13 years in the wild, depending on the environment.
The average lifespan of a dhole in captivity is 16 years.
Dholes reach sexual maturity at the age of one year and begin reproducing at the age of two to three years.
Dhole gave birth to 5 to 10 pups in a single litter after a short gestation period of 60 days.
During the first two months following birth, babies are fully reliant on mother's milk.
The entire pack contributes to the nursing and regurgitation of food for puppies.
The pups are ready to hunt with the rest of the pack after six months.

Dholes are highly social animals that live in a variety of pack sizes.
The number of members in the pack ranges from two to thirty.
Large pack sizes, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly rare.
When they reach adulthood, they have the option of remaining with the pack, starting their own pack, or even joining other packs without having to engage in conflicts or confrontations.
A pack may contain one or more breeding females, depending on the size of the group.
Their social strength is important to their long-term survival.
Dhole lives in close proximity to large animals such as tigers and bears on its territory.
A group of Dholes can be quite formidable when acting as a pack.
There have also been instances of tigers being killed by a pack.
A large territory is controlled by a pack of Dholes.
Their area can be as large as 40 sq km, depending on their habitat and food availability.
During hunting, Dholes communicate through whistles with other pack members.
After hunting, they eat as much as possible, and upon returning to the pack, they regurgitate.
Dholes live in underground dens.
They have even been known to raid the dens of other species, such as jackals.
Their dens are designed with many exits to allow them to flee quickly if necessary.
They urinate in a peculiar posture, which is unusual.
They urinate by raising both of their back legs at the same time.

Dholes are carnivores, but they have been recorded eating fruits in some instances.
Dholes hunt in packs. Kill size depends proportionately with the pack sizes.
Because of their strength in number, they frequently kill much larger animals like Sambar deer as well.
An adult Dhole can consume 1 kg of meat in just 4 seconds.
The Dholes also snatched prey from the jaws of larger predators.