Top dogs: African Wild Dogs

A dog by any other name: The African wild dog also goes by the names of Cape hunting dog or painted dog. Like a zebra’s unique stripe pattern or a human’s fingerprint, no two dogs have the same markings on their coat. Mottled with red, black, brown, white, and yellow patches of fur, the effect is as striking as it is essential to survival. Play it by ear: Like satellite dishes, the large rounded ears of African wild dogs swivel to detect minute sounds in the distance. Less is more: Another way African wild dogs differ from domestic dogs: They only have four toes per foot. Survival of the fastest: Wild dogs can sprint after prey at speeds of up to 44 miles an hour. Pack mentality: African wild dogs live and die for their family—literally. Though the bigger the clan the more efficient the hunt, non-breeding adults sacrifice their own nourishment to ensure the pups in the group get enough to eat and grow. Subsequently these altruistic elders tend to gradually become malnourished and die younger than their peers in packs with fewer offspring.