Wild Dogs

Wild Dog Resources South America Bush Dog Short-eared Dog Crab-eating Fox Maned Wolf Africa Bat-eared Fox African Wild Dog Fennec Fox Jackals Asia Dhole Europe Raccoon Dog North American Canidae Canis Coyote Arctic Wolf Gray Wolf Red Wolf Alopex Arctic Fox Urocyon Gray Fox Vulpes (foxes) Kit Fox Red Fox Swift Fox Types of Animals

Depending on the cultural and historical context, dogs either rule as man's best friend, or they are considered pests or menu items.

The animals known around the world as Canis lupus familiaris are the domesticated versions, bred over the course of thousands of years to either help humans in a work task or to keep them company.

Wild dogs, the undomesticated canidae species, call all the continents of the world (except Antarctica) home.

While improvements in Canidae research and DNA analysis continue, keeping the issue of Canidae taxonomy unsettled, currently the Canid Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognize thirteen Canidae genera, divided into thirty six species.

• Alopex lagopus Arctic fox
• Atelocynus (short-eared dog)
• Canis (dogs, jackals, and wolves)
• Cerdocyon (crab-eating fox)
• Chrysocyon (maned wolf)
• Cuon (dhole)
• Lycaon (African wild dog)
• Nyctereutes (raccoon dog)
• Otocyon (bat-eared fox)
• Pseudalopex (South American foxes)
• Speothos (bush dog)
• Urocyon (gray foxes)
• Vulpes (foxes)

Three of those genera, Canis, Urocyon, Vulpes are represented in the United States.

Unlike other animal species that traditionally divide between Old World and New World classifications, South American and North American Canidae species differ more than some North American and Old World species.

Species in the Canis and Vulupes genera for example, consists of North American, European, Asian and African species. Whereas, the wild dogs, wolves and foxes of South American evolved as species within distinct genera.

The top half of the list of links in the box on the right point to short reviews of the Canids of the world by region and genera. With the exception of the South American foxes, all the genera are single species genera.

The bottom half of the list provides greater detail of the North American Canidae species.

© 2010. Patricia A. Michaels