THE BUSH DOGS

 

The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a canine found in Central and South America.^[4][5] In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru;^[5][7] it was first identified by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils in Brazilian caves and was believed to be extinct.^[7] The bush dog is the only living species in the genus Speothos,^[4] and genetic evidence suggests that its closest living relative is the maned wolf of central South America^[8] or the African wild dog.^[9] The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

 

 

In Brazil it is called cachorro-vinagre ("vinegar dog") or cachorro-do-mato ("bush dog"). In Spanish-speaking countries it is called perro vinagre ("vinegar dog"), zorro vinagre ("vinegar fox"), perro de agua ("water dog"), or perro de monte ("mountain dog").

 

 

 

 

Adult bush dogs have soft long brownish-tan fur, with a lighter reddish tinge on the head, neck and back and a bushy tail, while the underside is dark, sometimes with a lighter throat patch. Younger individuals, however, have black fur over their entire bodies.^[7] Adults typically have a head-body length of 57–75 cm (22–30 in), with a 12.5–15 cm (5–6 in) tail. They have a shoulder height of 20–30 cm (8–12 in) and weigh 5–8 kg (11–18 lb).^[10] They have short legs relative to their body, as well as a short snout and relatively small ears.^[7]

The teeth are adapted for its carnivorous habits. Uniquely for an American canid, the dental formula is 3.1.4.13.1.4.2 for a total of 38 teeth.^[7] The bush dog is one of three canid species (the other two being the dhole and the African wild dog) with trenchant heel dentition, having a single cusp on the talonid of the lower carnassial tooth that increases the cutting blade length.^[7] Females have four pairs of teats and both sexes have large scent glands on either side of the anus.^[7] Bush dogs have partially webbed toes, which allow them to swim more efficiently.^[11]

 

Genetics

Speothos has a diploid chromosome number of 74,^[12] and so it is unable to produce fertile hybrids with other canids.^{[citation needed]}

 

 

 Bush dogs are found from Costa Rica^[13] in Central America and through much of South America east of the Andes, as far south as central Bolivia, Paraguay and southern Brazil. They primarily inhabit lowland forests up to 1,900 metres (6,200 ft) elevation,^[7] wet savannas and other habitats near rivers, but may also be found in drier cerrado and open pasture.^[5] The historic range of 

 

this species may have extended as far north as Costa Rica where the species may still be found in suitable habitat.^[5][14][15] New, repeated observations of bush dog groups have been recorded in east-central (Barbilla National Park) and south-eastern (La Amistad International Park) Costa Rica, and a substantial portion of the Talamanca Mountains up to 120 km to the north-northwest and at elevations up to 2,119 m.^[16] Very recent fossils dating from 300 A.D. to 900 A.D.(the Late Ceramic Age) have been found in the Manzanilla site on the eastern coast of Trinidad.^[17]

 

 

Bush dogs are carnivores and hunt during the day. Their typical prey are pacas, agoutis, acouchis^[20] and capybaras, all large rodents. Although they can hunt alone, bush dogs are usually found in small packs. The dogs can bring down much larger prey, including peccaries and rheas, and a pack of six dogs has even been reported hunting a 250 kg (550 lb) tapir, where they trailed the animal and nipped at its legs until it was felled. When hunting paca, part of the pack chases it on land and part wait for it in the water, where it often retreats.^[7]

 

Bush dogs appear to be the most gregarious South American canid species. They use hollow logs and cavities such as armadillo burrows for shelter. Packs consist of a single mated pair and their immediate relations, and have a home range of 3.8 to 10 square kilometres (1.5 to 3.9 sq mi).^[7] Only the adult pair breed, while the other members of the pack are subordinate, and help with rearing and guarding any pups.^[21] Packmates keep in contact with frequent whines, perhaps because visibility is poor in the undergrowth where they typically hunt.^[22] While eating large prey, parents position themselves at either ends of the animal, making it easier for the pups to disembowel it.^[7]

  

 Bush dogs mate throughout the year; oestrus lasts up to twelve days and occurs every 15 to 44 days.^[23] Like many other canids, bush dog mating includes a copulatory tie, during which the animals are locked together.^[23] Urine-marking plays a significant role in their pre-copulatory behavior.^[24][25]

 

 

Gestation lasts from 65 to 83 days and normally results in the birth of a litter of three to six pups, although larger litters of up to 10 have been reported.^[7] The young are born blind and helpless and initially weigh 125 to 190 grams (4.4 to 6.7 oz). The eyes open after 14 to 19 days and the pups first emerge from the nativity den shortly thereafter.^[7] The young are weaned at around four weeks and reach sexual maturity at one year.^[26] They can live for up to 10 years in captivity.^[7]

 

 Bush dogs are very little known compared to other canines of the World and their conservation is still in the beginning stages. The species is so uncommon that when bush dog bones were discovered in a cave in 1839, paleontologist Peter Wilhelm Lund thought that they were already extinct.

 

Some barriers to bush dog conservation include their dense habitat and very scattered population making them difficult to locate, the need for very large areas not disturbed by humans for the bush dogs to live in because they live and hunt in packs, and their very shy nature. The species is currently listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN because of an estimated 20-25 percent loss in numbers over the latest 12-year period.^[3] The main threats to bush dogs in the wild are in order of most important: habitat loss, including 

 

 

fragmentation, the loss of prey species because of human poaching and diseases that they can get from the domestic dog populations that they come across. The type of habitat loss that is affecting bush dogs the most is clear cutting of trees in the amazon and other good habitats for wood, cattle farming and palm oil. Disease from domestic dogs is slowly becoming a bigger and bigger problem for bush dogs, because of human encroachment they now share more of their habitat than ever with potentially unvaccinated domestic dogs. Hunting of bush dogs is prohibited in most of their range, countries banning the hunting of 

 

the species include Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, Panama and Argentina. There is nothing that explicitly bans bush dog hunting in the laws of Guyana and Suriname. Another issue is that many of the countries that the bush dog lives in have limited resources in place to enforce the wildlife laws that are made.

 

 

Currently scientists are using a number of different methods to try and create a management plan for bush dogs. Traditional camera traps have not worked well in evaluating the species because of how shy they are so scientists have deployed scent-detecting dogs to try and find the bush dogs burrows where they rest at 

 

night.^[2] The hope is to be able to collect better data about habitat use of the species, what kind of prey they hunt, and how and when the cubs branch off from the pack. There are protected areas that exist throughout the bush dogs range such as the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve which will theoretically be able to support feeder populations. In good news for the species, as recently as 2020, bush dogs were caught on camera traps in the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica suggesting that they may be expanding their range northward and even higher in elevation than previously thought possible. This could mean that if humans put in a concerted effort to try and save bush dogs the species will be able to respond well and keep a steady population or maybe even gain in numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bush dog range

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BRIITISH COLUMBIA WOLF

 

The British Columbia wolf (Canis lupus columbianus) is a subspecies of gray wolf which lives in a narrow region that includes those parts of the mainland coast and near-shore islands that are covered with temperate rainforest, which extends from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to the Alexander Archipelago in south-east Alaska.^[3] This area is bounded by the Coast Mountains.^[4]

The wolf was first classed as a distinct subspecies in 1941 by Edward Goldman, who described his specimen as being large with a skull closely resembling that of C. l. pambasileus, and whose fur is generally of a cinnamon-buff colour.^[2] This wolf is recognized as a subspecies of Canis lupus in the taxonomic authority Mammal Species of the World (2005).^[5]

 

Studies using mitochondrial DNA have indicated that the wolves of coastal south-east Alaska are genetically distinct from inland gray wolves, reflecting a pattern also observed in other taxa.^[4][6][7] They show a phylogenetic relationship with extirpated wolves from the south (Oklahoma), indicating that these wolves are the last remains of a once widespread group that has been largely extirpated during the last century, and that the wolves of northern North America had originally expanded from southern refuges below the Wisconsin glaciation after the ice had melted at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. These 

 

 

 

 findings call into question the taxonomic classification of C. l. nulibus proposed by Nowak.^[4] Another study found that the wolves of coastal British Columbia were genetically and ecologically distinct from the inland wolves, including other wolves from inland British Columbia.^[3] A study of the three coastal wolves indicated a close phylogenetic relationship across regions that are geographically and ecologically contiguous, and the study proposed that Canis lupus ligoni (Alexander Archipelago wolf), Canis lupus columbianus (British Columbia wolf), and Canis lupus crassodon (Vancouver Island wolf) should be recognized as a single subspecies of Canis lupus.^[7]

 

 

In 2016, two studies compared the DNA sequences of 42,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in North American gray wolves and found the coastal wolves to be genetically and phenotypically distinct from other wolves.^[8] They share the same habitat and prey species, and form one of the study's six identified ecotypes – a genetically and ecologically distinct population separated from other populations by their different type of habitat.^[8][9] The local adaptation of a wolf ecotype most likely reflects the wolf's preference to remain in the type of habitat that it was born into.^[8] Wolves that prey on fish and small deer in wet, coastal environments tend to be smaller than other wolves.^[8]

The British Columbia wolf is one of the largest subspecies of North American wolves. They weigh around 80 (36 kg) to 150 pounds (68 kg) and are roughly 5ft (152 cm) to 5ft 10 (178 cm) long. These wolves have long coats which were usually black, often mixed with grey, or brown.^[10]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Historical and present range of gray wolf subspecies in North America

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE VANCOUVER COASTAL SEA WOLF

 

The Vancouver Coastal sea wolf, also known as the Vancouver Island wolf, coastal wolf or sea wolf (Canis lupus crassodon)^[2] is a Northwestern subspecies of gray wolf, endemic to the coast of the Pacific Northwest.^[3] They are a unique subspecies of wolf due to their semi-aquatic lifestyle, which includes a diet that is almost entirely marine-based.

 

The wolves play important roles in the cultures and spiritual beliefs of local indigenous people, with mythical creatures like the Gonakadet and Wasgo, found among the Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Haida peoples of British Columbia and Alaska, being inspired by them.^[4]

Vancouver Island wolves measure between 1.2 and 1.5 metres (4 and 5 ft) from nose to tail-tip, and are noticeably lighter than their interior counterparts, weighing between 29 and 40 kilos (65-90lbs), as opposed to the 36 to 68 kilos (80-150lbs) of a mainland British Columbia wolf.^[2] As with other wolves, there is a difference in size between the sexes, with males being larger than females.^[5]

The colour of their coat ranges between individuals, with varying degrees of reddish-brown, grey, beige, and white fur, though entirely white^[2] and melanistic individuals are seen on occasion.^[6]

Kitlope Heritage Conservancy, part of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Vancouver Island wolves range from southern Alaska, down along the coast of British Columbia, including within the Great Bear Rainforest. Owing to their propensity as strong swimmers, they also inhabit several islands in the Salish Sea, including their namesake, Vancouver Island.^[3]

One of the defining features of this subspecies is their movements between islands, in some cases swimming up to 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) between landmasses.^[7] These movements are sometimes seasonal, including following the migration of salmon,^[8] one of their preferred food sources.

 Vancouver Island wolves have a diverse diet, with between 75 and 90 percent of it being sourced from the ocean. A quarter of that is salmon,^[7] of which the wolves are documented eating solely the heads, potentially to avoid a bacterial infection known as "salmon poisoning" which can be fatal to canids.^[9][10]

 

 Along the coast, they will forage for barnacles, clams, mussels, and crabs, digging into the sand with their paws and using powerful jaw muscles to break open shells.^[8] They also scavenge whatever has been left behind by the tide, which can include everything from abalone to whale carcasses.^[11] They have been found to tug crab trap floats ashore in order to retrieve the bait, an undertaking described as "highly efficient and focused behaviour".^[12]

 

Coastal wolves will also actively hunt marine mammals like otters, seals, and their offspring,^[13] as well as terrestrial mammals like black-tailed deer.^[8] River otters, as well as minks, appear more often as the chosen food source when the availability of terrestrial mammals decreases.^[14] The wolves' diet varies as the seasons and scarcity of food sources change. They primarily feed on deer fawns and elk in the summer months while turning to beaver as a food source in the winter season.^[15]

 

 

Additionally, age plays a part in the dietary differences of coastal wolves. Young pups consume a larger quantity of deer fawns, rather than adult deer, because it is theorized that the smaller prey is easier for adult wolves to transport to their offspring.^[16]

A Vancouver Island wolf in the

The Vancouver Island wolf is recognized as a subspecies of Canis lupus in the taxonomic authority Mammal Species of the World (2005).^[17] Studies using mitochondrial DNA have indicated that the wolves of coastal southeast Alaska are genetically distinct from inland grey wolves, reflecting a pattern also observed in other taxa.^[18][19][20] They show a phylogenetic relationship with extirpated wolves from the south (Oklahoma), indicating that these wolves are the last remains of a once widespread group that has been largely extirpated during the last century and that the wolves of northern North America had originally expanded from southern refuges below the Wisconsin glaciation after the ice had melted at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. These findings call into question the taxonomic classification of C.l. 

nulibus proposed by Nowak.^[19] Another study found that the wolves of coastal British Columbia were genetically and ecologically distinct from the inland wolves, including other wolves from inland British Columbia.^[21] A study of the three coastal wolves indicated a close phylogenetic relationship across regions that are geographically and ecologically contiguous, and the study proposed that Canis lupus ligoni (Alexander Archipelago wolf), Canis lupus columbianus (British Columbia wolf), and Canis lupus crassodon (Vancouver Island wolf) should be recognized as a single subspecies of Canis lupus.^[20]

 

In 2016, two studies compared the DNA sequences of 42,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in North American grey wolves and found the coastal wolves to be genetically and phenotypically distinct from other wolves.^[22] They share the same habitat and prey species, and form one of the study's six identified ecotypes - a genetically and ecologically distinct population separated from other populations by their different type of habitat.^[22][23] The local adaptation of a wolf ecotype most likely reflects the wolf's preference to remain in the type of habitat that it was born into.^[22] Wolves that prey on fish and small deer in wet, coastal environments tend to be smaller than other wolves.^[22]

The pressure commercial hunting puts on Vancouver Island wolves was brought to international attention when "Takaya", a male wolf whose uniquely solitary life was heavily documented, including in the 2019 documentary Takaya: Lone Wolf, was shot and killed on March 24, 2020, by a hunter.^[24] His death prompted calls from both the local and international community for changes to the law regarding the hunting of wolves in British Columbia.

 

 The B.C. Ministry of Forests strictly regulates the hunting of these wolves, with specific limits during trapping and hunting seasons to prevent the depletion of the populations.^[25] Plans have been put in place to more closely monitor the species and centralize information gathered from research, harvest reports, and observational records. A two-zone management framework has also been established. In regions where wolves are a significant cause of the decline of threatened wildlife populations, particularly endangered mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), targeted removal of these wolves may be used as a last-resort conservation measure for the surrounding species. On the other hand, in areas where wolves do not pose a threat, the populations are left to exist naturally within the ecosystem, maintaining their ecological role as predators.^[25]

 

 Human-wildlife conflict presents a growing challenge for the wolves, particularly on Vancouver Island, a prominent tourist destination.^[26] Once extirpated from the island in the late 1960s, the wolves began reappearing in the early 1970s. During this absence public perception of the wolves had changed, resulting in more fascination of the Vancouver Island wolves.^[27] This interest has led to unintended consequences, in 2000 on Vargas Island the wolves became habituated to human activity, resulting in wolves being hand-fed by tourists.^[27] Urbanization and logging practices also put pressures on coastal wolf populations, with increasing encounters with humans and their pets often leading to more habituation. This can result in lethal human-wolf interactions, such as wolves approaching people or pets.^[26] Logging activities have also changed the availability of preferred prey sources for Vancouver wolves, resulting in wolves moving further inland.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Historical and present range of grey wolf subspecies in North America.