The Cape wild dog is the largest subspecies, weighing 20–25 kg (44–55 lb).[2] It is much more colourful than the East African subspecies,[2] though even within this single subspecies there are geographic variations in coat colour: specimens inhabiting the Cape
are characterised by the large amount of orange-yellow fur overlapping
the black, the partially yellow backs of the ears, the mostly yellow
underparts and a number of whitish hairs on the throat mane. Those in Mozambique
are distinguished by the almost equal development of yellow and black
on both the upper and underparts of the body, as well as having less
white fur than the Cape form.[3]
The Cape wild dog plays a prominent role in the mythology of Southern Africa's San people. In one story, the wild dog is indirectly linked to the origin of death, as the hare
is cursed by the moon to be forever hunted by wild dogs after the hare
rebuffs the moon's promise to allow all living things to be reborn after
death. Another story has the god Cagn
taking revenge on the other gods by sending a group of men transformed
into African wild dogs to attack them, though who won the battle is
never revealed. The San of Botswana see the Cape wild dog as the
ultimate hunter and traditionally believe that shamans and medicine men
can transform themselves into Cape wild dogs. Some San hunters will
smear Cape wild dog bodily fluids on their feet before a hunt, believing
that doing so will gift them with the animal's boldness and agility.
Nevertheless, the species does not figure prominently in San rock art, with the only notable example being a frieze in Mount Erongo showing a pack hunting two antelopes.[5]
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.