Bush dog

The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a canine found in Central and South America. Though it lives in many places, it is very rare except in Suriname, Guyana, and Peru. It was first described by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils in Brazilian caves, and people thought it was gone forever.

The bush dog is the only extant species in the genus Speothos. Scientists think its closest living relatives are the maned wolf of central South America or the African wild dog. This special animal is listed as Near Threatened, meaning it might be at risk in the future.

In Brazil, the bush dog is called cachorro-vinagre, which means "vinegar dog," or cachorro-do-mato, meaning "bush dog." In Spanish-speaking countries, it has many names, such as perro vinagre ("vinegar dog"), zorro vinagre ("vinegar fox"), perro de agua ("water dog"), and perro de monte ("shrub or woodland dog").

Description

Bush dogs are small, soft, and have long brownish-tan fur with a lighter reddish color on their head, neck, and back. They have a bushy tail and a darker underside, sometimes with a lighter patch on their throat. Young bush dogs are completely black. Adults are about 57–75 cm (22–30 in) long from head to body, with a tail that is 12.5–15 cm (5–6 in) long. They stand 20–30 cm (8–12 in) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 5–8 kg (11–18 lb). They have short legs, a short snout, and small ears.

Their teeth are built for eating meat, and they have a special set of teeth that helps them cut through their food. Both males and females have special scent glands near their tails. Bush dogs also have partially webbed toes, which help them swim better.

Genetics

Bush dogs have a special number of chromosomes that makes it impossible for them to mix with other dog species to create offspring.

Distribution and habitat

Bush dogs live in many parts of Central and South America. You can find them from Costa Rica through countries like Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil. They prefer places like lowland forests, wet savannas, and areas near rivers. They can also live in drier lands called cerrado and open grasslands.

There are three types of bush dogs. The South American bush dog lives in places such as Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northern Paraguay. The Panamanian bush dog is found in Panama, northern Colombia, Venezuela, and western Ecuador. The southern bush dog lives in southern Brazil, Paraguay, and a small part of northeastern Argentina. In 2016, people took the first pictures of this type of bush dog in Argentina using a special camera trap.

Behavior

Bush dogs are carnivores and hunt during the day. They usually hunt in small packs and look for large rodents like pacas, agoutis, acouchis, and capybaras. Sometimes, part of the pack chases the prey on land while others wait in the water where the prey often goes.

These dogs can also hunt much larger animals, such as peccaries and rheas, together. One group of six bush dogs was seen hunting a South American tapir for three hours. Even though they can hunt big animals, they usually prefer smaller ones to avoid getting hurt. Bush dogs stay close to each other and use sounds like whines to keep in touch while moving through dense forests. They live in groups with one mated pair and their young, and they help each other take care of any new puppies.

Reproduction

Bush dogs can mate at any time of the year. Before mating, urine-marking helps them communicate. After mating, the mother carries the baby for about 9 to 12 weeks. Most litters have three to six babies, but sometimes there can be up to ten. The babies are born blind and very small, weighing about as much as a small apple. Their eyes open after about two weeks, and they start exploring outside soon after. The babies drink milk for about four weeks and grow up to be able to have their own babies after about a year. In zoos, bush dogs can live up to 10 years.

Conservation

Bush dogs are not well known, and efforts to protect them are just starting. Because they are rare, scientists once thought they were gone forever after finding their bones in a cave long ago. But later, people found living bush dogs.

These animals can live in many different places, but it is hard to protect them because they hide in thick forests and are spread out in small groups. They need big areas with no human interference to live in packs and are very shy.

Groups that watch over nature say bush dogs are almost in danger because their numbers have gone down by about 20–25% in the last 12 years. The biggest problems for them are losing their homes due to cutting down trees for wood, farms, and palm oil, losing food because people hunt animals, and getting sick from pets. Cutting down forests in places like the Amazon is the biggest threat.

Hunting bush dogs is not allowed in most places, but some countries do not have strong rules to stop it. Scientists are trying new ways to find and study bush dogs, using special dogs to help locate their homes. This helps learn more about how they live.

Recently, bush dogs were spotted in a new area in Costa Rica, which gives hope that with the right help, their numbers might stay the same or even grow.