The dhole is a wild canid native to South, Southeast and East Asia, though its range has contracted sharply and it now survives mainly in fragmented populations across India, Southeast Asia and parts of China. Reddish-brown in color with a bushy black-tipped tail, it is highly social, living and hunting in packs that can number a dozen or more animals, cooperating to bring down prey considerably larger than any individual dhole, including deer and wild pigs. The species communicates with an unusually varied vocal repertoire, including a distinctive whistling call used to regroup pack members across dense forest, which has earned it the nickname the whistling dog. Dholes are diurnal hunters, active mainly by day, and pack members share food and help raise pups communally. Habitat loss, depletion of prey species, disease from domestic dogs and persecution by farmers have driven a steep decline across its range, and the species is classified as endangered, with an estimated total population of only a few thousand mature individuals.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to PeopleAgricultural or Structural Pest 4 Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceSourced to the subject's own accountThe general tone of the dhole's fur is reddish, with the brightest hues appearing in winter. During the winter coat phase, the back is covered in a saturated rusty-red to reddish color, featuring brownish highlights along the top of the head, neck, and shoulders. The throat, chest, flanks, belly, and upper parts of the limbs are less vividly colored, exhibiting a more yellowish tone. 1 Comparison
CITES Appendix Scientific NameSourced to the subject's own account Conservation StatusSourced to the subject's own account Population EstimateSourced to the subject's own accountIUCN Red List upper-bound estimate, population decreasing; fewer than 2500 mature individuals, not a precise count. Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
In Ecosystem
Source Wikidata: Tiger
Additional Source Western Ghats (Wikipedia)Article text
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Dhole (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead sentence, binomial name in parentheses
Cuon alpinus
Characteristics section, winter coat paragraph
The general tone of the dhole's fur is reddish, with the brightest hues appearing in winter. During the winter coat phase, the back is covered in a saturated rusty-red to reddish color, featuring brownish highlights along the top of the head, neck, and shoulders. The throat, chest, flanks, belly, and upper parts of the limbs are less vividly colored, exhibiting a more yellowish tone.
Conservation section, IUCN Red List sentence
It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as populations are decreasing and estimated to comprise fewer than 2,500 mature individuals.
- Category: Fauna listed on CITES Appendix II
In Biome: Steppe, Distribution and habitat
The dholes also once inhabited the alpine steppes extending into Kashmir to the Ladakh area, though they disappeared from 60% of their historic range in India during the past century.
In Biome: Alpine, Distribution and habitat
In India, Myanmar, Indochina, Indonesia and China, it prefers forested areas in alpine zones and is occasionally sighted in plains regions.
View the Source 2. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
3. Dhole (Wikipedia)
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Cuon alpinus (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
CITES Appendix II
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Although this occurs on rare occasions, dholes can attack livestock at the cost of the owner.
View the Source 5. GBIF Species API
Wikidata: Dhole
Wikidata Q132585, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Dhole (Wikidata)
WikidataWikidata Q132585 (P1034 main food source): Chital
Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): Chital.
Wikidata Q132585 (P1034 main food source): fruit
Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): fruit.
Wikidata Q132585 (P1034 main food source): carrion
Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): carrion.
View the Source Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: CanidaeView the Source Western Ghats (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIn Ecosystem: Western Ghats, Article textQuote, In Ecosystem: Western Ghats, Article text
Other mammals include endangered and vulnerable species such as the lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, leopard, Nilgiri langur, dhole, and gaur.
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