African Wild Dog - Central African Republic

Lycaon pictus - The African wild dog is a rare animal. It has disappeared from much of its original range. The wild dog has highly developed social bonds exceeding those of lions or hyenas. It is the female who leaves the group to join other packs while the males remain as the core group. Typical packs can number up to 30 individuals. Each pack has a hierarchal order for both males and females with males leading the overall pack. Mating is limited to the alpha male and female.

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France established a settlement on the northern bank of the Ubangi River in 1889. The small French village was named Bangui and served as the administrative and economic center for the local area. Plantations were built to grow tea, cotton, and coffee. It became the Oubangui-Chari colony in 1903 and was consolidated with Chad, the Middle Congo, and Gabon to form the Federation of French Equatorial Africa in 1910. In 1958, the Central African Republic became an independent country.

Fennec Fox - Mauritania

 

Three quarters of Mauritania is either desert or semi-desert. The shift in global climates has worked against Mauritania’s as the desertification of arable land increases at an alarming rate. Periodic droughts have ravaged the Sahel region and pose a constant threat to the agricultural livelihood of Mauritania.

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Vulpes zerda - The fennec fox is the smallest member of canids; the dog family. Measuring only 60 centimeters from nose to tail, it has ears 15 centimeters long. The over-sized ears provide for sensitive hearing and helps in cooling the body by dissipating heat. The fennec fox is a nocturnal animal found throughout the Sahara Desert and has adapted itself well to the dry arid region. The kidneys have the ability to restrict water loss. This adaptation allows the fennec fox to survive without having to drink water directly.

Bat-eared Fox - Somalia

The Somali Peninsula, also known as the Horn of Africa, juts out from Northeastern Africa into the Arabian Sea. The region hosts the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. This is the area thought to be the site of the mysterious “Land of Punt,” a rich kingdom serving as a close trading partner to ancient Egypt. 

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Otocyon megalotis - The bat-eared fox feeds exclusively on insects, with harvester termites topping the list. The over-sized ears are sensitive and can detect food sources it cannot see or sniff out. The dental structure of the bat-eared fox differs from those of other canid species. They have smaller teeth, but with less of a shearing design, a reflection of their insect diet. The bat-eared fox can survive without direct access to water. It is able to obtain the necessary water requirements from eating insects.

Black-backed Jackal - QwaQwa

In terms of territorial size, QwaQwa was the smallest of the 10 South African Bantustans. QwaQwa was established from a small reserve set aside from the Orange Free State in 1969 and granted self-government status in 1974. QwaQwa was the homeland for the Southern Sotho people, a Bantu ethnic group native to Lesotho.

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Canis mesomelas - Two regions of Africa serve as native ranges for the black-backed jackals. The nominate species, Canis mesomelas, can be found in Southern Africa and the sub-species, Canis mesomelas schmidti, is native from the Horn of Africa to as far south as Tanzania. The southern resident has a longer and narrower skull. The black-backed jackal is a slender animal; the long legs and large ears give it a fox-like appearance. Monogamous, a breeding couple will typically produce a litter of  5 pups after a 60 day gestation period.

Arctic Fox - Northwest Territories

In 1870, the Hudson Bay Company, a commercial organization incorporated in 1670 through a royal charter, transferred its Canadian land holdings, known as North-Western Territory and Rupert’s Land, to the British Crown. It was renamed as the Northwest Territories in 1912.

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Alopex lagopus - The Arctic fox has two phases for its seasonal coloration. The winter coat is white or bluish grey and provides excellent camouflage in the winter landscape. The summer coat is usually a greyish brown color, although some populations, depending on their habitats, have a steel grey color in the winter and a pale grey coat during the summer. Arctic foxes are monogamous with several generations maintaining strong family bonds. They remain active throughout the year and do not hibernate or migrate during winter months.

Eastern American Red Fox - New Hampshore

New Hampshire is one of six states forming the New England region; the others being Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. New England has an area of about 186,000 square kilometers and 15 million inhabitants; it the smallest geographical and populated region in the United States.

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Vulpes vulpes fulves - The eastern American red fox is a subspecies of the red fox, a species native to Europe. The America variety can be found east of the Rocky Mountains, with three exceptions; Florida, the Great Plains, and Southern Texas. It differs from its European cousin in having longer fur, wider feet, a shorter muzzle, and shorter ears. Red foxes are monogamous and develop territories ranging from 2.5 to 5 square kilometers in size. A breeding pair of red foxes typically raises litters averaging 3 to 8 kits per season.

Grey Wolf - Wyoming

In 1872, Yellowstone became the first National Park in the United States with the signing of the Act of Dedication by President Ulysses S. Grant. The park covers almost 9,000 square kilometers and is situated in three states: Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The largest share of the park lies within the border of Wyoming.

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Canis lupus - With the exception of some large breeds of the domesticated dog, the grey wolf is the largest member of the Canidae family and the only one native to the Old and New World. The social structure of the grey wolf is based on the family pack, a unit organized around two paired alpha adults, several juveniles, and the recently born pups. The juveniles help in caring for the yearlings, but begin to set up their own territories and families as they reach sexual maturity or when available food sources fall into decline.

Golden Jackal - Jordan

The Dead Sea is 427 meters below sea level, making it the lowest point on earth. The lake has a surface area of about 600 square kilometers and a maximum depth of 306 meters. It is situated in the Jordan Rift Valley and fed by the Jordan River. With a salinity of 34%, the Dead Sea’s ability to support local animal life is limited.

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Canis aureus - The golden jackal shares a common feature with the coyote and fox; it is able to adapt itself to changing situations. This ability has allowed the jackal to survive in a rapidly changing environment of closer contact with encroaching human activity. The golden jackal feeds on a wide variety of food items ranging from fruit to small insects and mammals. The basic social unit of the jackal consists of a breeding pair and their offspring; sometimes juveniles or non-breeding adults will remain with the group to assist in rearing new litters.

Arabian Red Fox - United Arab Emirates

An emirate is a political territory controlled by an “emir,” translating as “commander.” The United Arab Emirates is a state with each separate emirate being governed by a hereditary emir. The individual emirs come together to form an electoral college in electing a president and prime minister to head the federation.

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Vulpes vulpes arabica - The Arabian red fox is a sub-species of the common red fox and found throughout the Arabian Peninsula. It has longer ears than the red fox to help dissipate heat and it has fur padding between its toes to help insulate against the hot ground. These two differences are important features for living in desert environments. The body of the Arabian red fox looks leaner than the red fox found in northern latitudes, but it is the same size; the shorter fur gives the Arabian red fox a smaller and thinner appearance.

Red Fox - Ukraine

Trypillia, a small village in Central Ukraine, is a site providing archaeological evidence of European settlements dating from 5000 to 2700 BC. These Cucuteni-Trypillian villages rose up in Ukraine and Moldova and were the largest settlements of Neolithic Europe; some villages contained over 1,500 individual structures. 

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Vulpes vulpes - Red foxes originated in Eurasia and have spread throughout the northern hemisphere. With approximately 280 separate species, they are the most abundant species of the carnivora family. The red fox range has been extended to include Australia; they were brought in by settlers during the 1830’s. Red foxes have a primary diet featuring small rodent type animals. Being opportunistic omnivores, red foxes will also eat fruits and vegetables. Unless there is an abundant food source, red foxes tend to hunt alone.