Episode 336 – Bush Dog: Petite Pack

“…and today we are talking about a petite pack hunter. But more on that later…”

Canines are usually smaller than their prey. That’s because they’ve decided to work together as a team, and teams mean more mouths to feed. But what if you’re not the size of a wolf or even a coyote? What if you’re more like the size of a corgi? That’s no problem, the team just needs to find the right prey and the right game plan to win the prize. But teamwork makes the pups full in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Description of the Bush Dog

  • Looks like a little weasel bear mixed with a Tasmanian devil. 
  • Closest living relative is actually the majestic maned wolf
  • Long dachshund body, short legs, soft-looking brown, tan, or cream-colored fur with a reddish hue.
  • Black legs and short, stubby, tail are black or dark brown
  • Very bearish/Tasmanian devil face. Small, close-set eyes. Short, rounded ears, little dog nose, sharp teeth.

Measure Up

Welcome to the beloved Measure Up segment. The official listener’s favorite part of the show! The part of the show when we present the animal’s size and dimension in relatable terms through a quiz that’s fun for the whole family. It’s also the part of the show that’s introduced by you when you send in audio of yourself saying, singing, or chittering the words Measure Up into ldtaxonomy at gmail dot com. We don’t have a new Measure Up intro! 

Length

57–75 cm (22–30 in)

The bush dog is the same length as…

  • 15.6 dominos
  • The thickness of 28.2 Dominos pizzas
  • 1.2 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Weight

5–8 kg (11–18 lb)

The bush dog is the same weight as…

  • A newborn bottlenose dolphin
  • 1.5 U.S. standard bricks
  • 0.65 Good Delivery gold bars

Fact: Good Delivery refers to an international standard of gold trading.

Fast Facts about the Bush Dog

  • Range: Lives in the rainforests of the Amazon River Basin from Panama to Northern Argentina to East Brazil.
  • Diet: They love to eat larger South American rodents like pacas, agoutis, acouchis, and even capybaras, the largest rodents in the world. They also go for peccaries (medium-sized hogs) and rheas (ostrich-like bird)
  • Behavior:
    • They are really gregarious, meaning they hang out in packs without aggression. 
    • They like to live in hollow logs and other animal burrows
    • Their sounds include grunts and whines when hunting
    • 10 year lifespan in captivity

Major Fact: Petite Pack

Bush dogs are small corgi sized pups that can take down much larger prey.

  1. Hunting Behavior:
    • They typically hunt during the day.
    • Their typical prey includes large rodents such as pacas, agoutis, acouchis, and capybaras.
    • They can hunt alone but are usually found in small packs.
    • Remarkably, they can bring down much larger prey, including peccaries, rheas, and even tapirs.
    • One report says a pack took down a 250 kg or 550 lb tapir.
    • They target the legs of large animals, causing them to fall. This cooperative approach allows them to tackle formidable opponents.
    • Water Pursuit: Interestingly, bush dogs can also follow their prey into deep water during the chase.
  2. Social Behavior:
    • Usually, packs include a single mated pair and their immediate relatives.
    • Only the adult pair breeds, while other pack members help with rearing and guarding puppies.
    • Frequent whining is bad for human parents but it helps packmates stay in contact, especially in dense undergrowth where visibility is poor.
    • When eating large prey, parents will help pups by pulling opposite ends of the animal so the pups can disembowel them.

Ending: So fluff your coat, get your tootsie roll friends, and take down some giant rats like the bush dog here in LDT.