Dogs

Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)

Phylum (Phulum): Chordates (Chordata)

Subphylum (Subphulum): Vertebrates (Vertebrata)

Class (Classa): Mammals (Mammalia)

Order (Ordo): Carnivores (Carnivora)

Family (Familia): Dogs (Canidae)

For ages they have been greatly spread mammals. It has been determined with certainty that they appeared on the Earth very early.

All dogs, no matter if they are wolves, coyotes, jackals, foxes, wild dogs, feral dogs, primitive dogs or domestic dogs, are members of dog family or canids. In this family there is 37 species that are divided into: genuine dogs, foxes and primitive dogs.

Lifestyle

They are very intelligent animals. Due to extremely developed senses of vision, hearing and smell, alongside powerful jaws and strong teeth – they are exquisite while hunting. Most live in packs, some in smaller groups, and some on their own.

Appearance

One feature that is in common with all canids, besides some breeds of domestic dogs, is elongated snout. Neck is strong and usually long. All wild dogs, except small Bush Dog, have long legs adjusted for running fast during the hunt, but are less elastic than the cats'. Ribs protect vital organs. Ears are erect, but domestic dogs can also have pendulous ears.

Sexual dimorphism (the differences in appearance between males and females of the same species) is not as distinct, mostly is apparent in size of the animal and the details. Females have more delicate built.

The tail of any canid is not bent behind the back all the time. More or less, they are long, straight, mostly ragged, with white or black tip. Shape of the tail of domestic dogs is very diverse.

Coat is longer in cold areas than in warm. It consists of two layers: undercoat made from fine hair, usually unicoloured, and topcoat, longer, stiffer hair that is repellent. It contains natural oils that keep the coat waterproof, and it can have a pattern depending on the breed of the dog. Most of the wild and the domestic dogs lose hair every spring and autumn, due to shedding (replacing coat with less dense and shorter one) which results in thinner coat during summer and thicker in winter time.

Dogs have four toes on the back legs, and five on the front. The fifth toe is placed a bit above the other toes. Only African Hunting Dog does not have the fifth toe.

The claws are used for scratching, digging, holding the prey, and also for protection of the nerves located under the tips of the toes. Since the claws are dull, most of them are bound to the ground, except for the grey fox which is a good climber. Additionally, they cannot perform high jumps like cats do. But they are excellent runners and possess great amount of endurance. Raccoon Dog and Bush Dog are excellent swimmers.

Overheating is regulated by opening the mouth, sticking the tongue out and gasping.The only spot where dogs sweat is the pads on their paws.

The coat and the ears also regulate the body temperature. Some canids have bigger, some smaller ears, depending on the climate. Bigger ears release more heat. Those type of ears belong to Black-backed Jackal and African Wild Dog as they live in very warm areas, and Fennec Fox has the biggest ears compared to the body size amongst the canids, as it populates the hottest parts of African continent. Smaller ears prevent heat loss as in Arctic Fox.

Food

Dogs are not as carnivorous as cats for they are not solely keen on food of animal origin. Mainly, they hunt mammals and birds, but also amphibians, fish, clams, crustaceans, so this is why they are referred to as carnivores. They also feed on carcasses – already dead animals. In fact, they are omnivores as they also eat vegetables, insects and fruits, alongside the meat. If there is food deficiency, they would eat roots and moss, while grass helps their digestion.

Habitats

Dogs can be found on all of the continents except the Antarctica. Wild canids originally populated every continent besides Antarctica and Australia, where they were brought by humans. The majority of breeds is recorded in South America, Africa and Asia.

Some canids inhabit forests as they are rich in prey and where they can hide and ambush. But some are inhabitants of tundras (bare plains without trees), steppes (big and dry plain in Russia where plants that can endure droughts grow), savannahs (large grasslands in North America and Africa with steppe-like overgrowth), prairies (enormous grassland without trees in North America), grasslands and deserts.