Canine | Natural History, Importance to Humans & Classification (2024)

canine, (family Canidae), any of 36 living species of foxes, wolves, jackals, and other members of the dog family. Found throughout the world, canines tend to be slender long-legged animals with long muzzles, bushy tails, and erect pointed ears.

Canines are carnivores that prey on a wide variety of animals, large and small, though some also eat carrion and vegetable matter. Highly intelligent and easily trained, canines were probably the first animals to be domesticated. On the other hand, most species have been (and are still) hunted for their pelts, and in many areas they continue to be hunted, trapped, and otherwise controlled in order to mitigate predation on livestock and game.

Natural history

Each continent except Antarctica and Australia has members of the family Canidae native to it; Australia’s dingo (Canis lupus dingo, or Canis lupus familiaris dingo) was introduced by man, albeit thousands of years ago. Canines are absent from New Zealand and most oceanic islands. Every major ecosystem is inhabited by some type of canine. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), for example, occupies the barren tundra of the Arctic, whereas the fennec (Vulpes zerda) lives in the Sahara desert. In general, however, canines tend to be animals of open or grassland areas. The rare bush dog (Speothos venaticus) of South America confines itself to forests and wet savannas, however, and the Eurasian raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) often lives in tree hollows that have their entrances close to the ground. The American gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) prefers wooded areas and is not averse to climbing trees, whereas the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) tends to occupy meadows and farmland. Thus, in North America, where both these foxes exist, they occupy slightly different ecological niches.

Canines are all predators that are primarily, if not exclusively, meat eaters. The gray, or timber, wolf (Canis lupus), the African hunting dog (Lycaon pictus), and the Asian dhole (Cuon alpinus) are strictly carnivorous, whereas foxes, jackals, the coyote (Canis latrans), and the raccoon dog eat fruits and berries as well as small mammals, birds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. The vision and hearing of canines are acute, and their sense of smell is among the keenest of all mammals. The canines that are strictly carnivorous tend to hunt in packs; those that are omnivorous tend to be solitary in their hunting habits. Carnivorous species usually follow migratory herds of hoofed animals such as caribou or antelope, or they move into areas where other prey is more numerous. African hunting dogs are extremely social, always hunting in intricately organized packs, whereas the varied diet of omnivores reduces the necessity for organized attack and extended travel to such an extent that some South American foxes are solitary or live in pairs.

Canine litters usually number about four to six young born after a gestation period of 51–80 days, depending on the species. The Arctic fox has the largest litter among carnivores, averaging about 11 but sometimes numbering 20 or more. Arctic foxes give birth in a den in the ground, in a hollow log or tree, in a hidden brushy area, among boulders, or in a crevice of rock. The African hunting dog often dens in abandoned aardvark burrows. Canines breed in late winter, and the young are born in mid- or late spring. Their eyes usually open in about two weeks, and they nurse for four to six weeks. The smaller species can begin breeding when only one year old, but larger forms, such as the wolf, do not reach sexual maturity until two or three years of age.

Canines communicate with a variety of sounds. The vocal repertoire is most highly developed in social species and includes howls, yelps, snarls, barks, and growls. These sounds are frequently associated with specialized visual signals involving movements of the ears and tail, raising of certain areas of fur, and baring of teeth. Within the social group or pack there is a complex dominance hierarchy based on age, pair-bonds, physical condition, and sexual state. Vocal and visual signals serve to minimize aggressive interactions, such as quarrels over food, that might prove injurious. In solitary species, vocalizations serve to advertise territory, ward off aggressors, and communicate with the mate and young.

Form and function

A long face or muzzle is characteristic of wild canines. All have a relatively long and bushy tail. Most have a uniform coloration, although there are some contrasting colours on jackals and the gray fox, a dark mask on the raccoon dog, a blotching of black, yellow, and white on the African hunting dog, and a lighter-coloured belly in most species. The ears are pointed, erect, and often quite large in desert species. In addition to detecting sound, large ears are believed to act as heat regulators in species such as the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) and the fennec, allowing a greater amount of heat to be dissipated in hot climates. Arctic foxes tend to have much smaller ears, providing less loss of heat in a region where heat conservation is important to survival.

Most canines have relatively long legs, especially the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) of South America. This feature makes canines well-adapted to running, as does the fact that they walk on their toes (digitigrade locomotion). Canines have exceptional stamina but are not capable of great bursts of speed. During winter, northern species often grow fur on their foot pads to provide traction on snow and protection from the cold. All canines have four well-developed toes plus a dewclaw (a vestigial fifth digit found on the feet of most mammals, reptiles, and birds that appears higher on the limb than the others) on the front feet, except the African hunting dog, which lacks the dewclaw. There are four toes on the rear feet. Each toe is capped by a blunt, nonretractile claw (i.e., with no sheath into which it can be withdrawn). Scent glands are often present at the base of the tail; these are used to mark territory.

Most canines have 42 teeth with unspecialized incisors and large fanglike teeth, actually called canines, that are used to kill prey. The premolars are narrow and sharp and the carnassials well-developed. The molars form broad surfaces that can crush substantial bones.