DINGO
Canis familiaris
DESCRIPTION
The Dingo is Australia’s native wild dog and an important predator in the Australian landscape. Dingoes can vary in colour from sandy yellow and reddish brown to black, tan or white. They have pointed muzzles, upright ears as adults and a bushy tail. Young pups, like the one in my photograph, can have softer features and ears that have not yet become fully upright.
QUICK FACTS
• Dingoes have lived in Australia for thousands of years.
• They are one of Australia’s major land predators.
• Dingoes communicate using howls, growls and other vocal sounds.
• They can live alone, in pairs or as part of a family group.
• Pups are usually born in a sheltered den.
• Their coat colour varies considerably across Australia.
• Dingoes play an important ecological role by influencing populations of other animals.
WHERE IT LIVES
Dingoes occur across much of mainland Australia in habitats ranging from deserts and grasslands to tropical woodland. They are also found throughout Kakadu National Park, where they live among woodland, floodplains and rocky country.
WHAT IT EATS
Dingoes are mainly carnivores and opportunistic hunters. Their diet can include wallabies, small mammals, reptiles, birds and other animals. They may hunt alone or work together when pursuing larger prey.
PETE'S PHOTO STORY
This little Dingo pup appeared amongst country that had recently been burnt, surrounded by blackened tree trunks and ash. It stopped for a moment and looked straight towards me. Against all that dark burnt country, the young pup seemed almost vulnerable, but the fresh green growth appearing behind it told another story. Fire is part of the landscape in Kakadu, and life quickly begins returning after the flames have passed.