The Dingo from Australia

Many people believe the Dingo is a native wild dog of Australia but they are not. It is believed the Dingo was brought to Australia by Asian seamen over 2,000 years ago. They were probably already partially domesticated. The Dingo prefer to be alone. They are known as dogs but they are different than most dogs. They are extremely shy and are usually found in the outback of Australia.

Dingos are very intelligent. When they are in the wild and feel threatened they will play dead.

You will find Dingos painted on rocks and these pictures show their role in Aboriginal life. It is said that on very cold night thee Aboriginals slept with the Dingos to stay warm.

The Dingo will take their mate for life and very often if the mate dies the surviving partner will die from loneliness.

Back in January of 1789 a group of English convicts were brought to Australia. They settled near what is now Sydney. At that time the Dingo was found just about everywhere except for Tasmania.

The Dingo can survive just about everywhere in Australia if there is an abundance of prey, water and shelter. They do very well in arid areas where there is plenty of water and rabbits for food. Dingos prefer to eat mammals but they will also eat reptiles, birds and seeds. Their favorite prey in the northern tropical wetlands is rabbits.

Dingos usually live in packs made up of a dominate male and female and their offspring.

When a Dingo hunts it depends on the prey available on how they go about it. When a Dingo is after small prey they will hunt alone. When they are hunting for large prey whey will hunt in a pack.

A female Dingo will give birth to 5 pups and there are more males than females in the litter. She will have her young in a natural cave, hollow log or abandoned burrow.

Dingos have to put up with many adverse living conditions like drought, snake bites and other injuries. They also have to put up with diseases and humans.

Dingos are usually 4 feet long and 2 feet tall at the shoulder. They will weigh around 35 pounds. The females are smaller than the males. Their size depends on where they live. Their fur is short and purebreds are usually a ginger color. They will also be found in black and tan and black and white. Almost all of them will have a tail with a white tip and white feet.

Their eyesight is very good and so is their hearing. Their sense of smell is extraordinary.

If a Dingo is treated good and trained when they are very young they can make good pets. They are very intelligent, playful and curious. They need a large fenced area to run in.

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Sources and credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingo Picture courtesy of: Pixabay.