We are all familiar with dogs. Most of us have had them as pets or played with our friends8217; pets. But the dog family is huge. And includes wolves, jackals and foxes. Dogs, both wild and domestic, may behave differently but they have a strong family likeness. There are 35 species of dogs and they come under the category of Canidae.
Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. They stand up to 3 ft tall at the shoulder and can weigh as much as 50 kg. An adult red fox weighs five kg with a 60 to 70-cm body length.
An adult jackal normally weighs 10 kg with a 60 to 75-cm body length. Dhole, the Indian wild dog, normally weighs 18 kg and stands around 50 cm at the shoulder. q Most wild dogs hunt, rest and travel in groups called packs. This way of life makes sense. The adults can protect the young and by hunting in a pack, dogs can kill animals larger than themselves. They hunt by scent. Their sense of smell is extremely keen, their sight and hearing acute and assist them in hunting.
Thefeet of all Canidae members are specially designed to chase prey over hard ground. A wolf pursued by a hunter on horseback kept its tireless run for two hours and covered a distance of some 18 miles.
The range of food the Canidae eats is extensive. They eat anything from large mammals like antelopes to rodents and birds. Even insignificant creatures like insects, crabs, molluscs and fruit are eaten by one or the other species.
The wolf, the red fox, the jackal and the wild dog are immigrants into India from the North. Out of these, the jackal has been most successful in establishing itself in both desert and forested regions, plains and high mountains. Wolves and foxes prefer the more open parts of the country, while wild dogs have stuck to forests.
From early times, the jackal was given the name lion provider8217;. Legend has it that the jackal led the lion to its prey and was rewarded with the remains of the meal. In India, it is commonly believed that jackals perform the same service forthe tiger. Actually a jackal may accompany a tiger in its hunt but not as a guide. It follows it seeking an opportunity to feed on the remains of the tiger8217;s kill.
In case of danger, the Indian fox with its remarkable speed, twists and turns to gain ground on its pursuer. Wolves sham death8217; and jackals do the same. A fox8217;s burrow is specially designed for ready escape. There is always more than one tunnel leading to the central sleeping chamber, should an enemy enter by one, the fox makes its exit by another.
Arctic foxes have a white winter coat that helps them hide in the snow. In spring, the white fur falls out and the fox grows a brown summer coat. Foxes hardly ever need to hunt for themselves. They are happy to eat a polar bear8217;s leftovers. A fox will sometimes trail along after a bear subsisting on its scraps.
Man has trained dogs to pull carts in Belgium and sledges for Eskimos. Dogs are also used to collect and drive sheep over mountains. Dogs also guard against theft and protectproperty. In sport, they retrieve game. And for the police, they are invaluable when it comes to apprehending criminals and detecting drugs.
Wild dogs and wolves serve man indirectly by keeping down the number of animals like deer, hare and wild pigs which otherwise would become great threat to crops. Foxes also destroy rodents and smaller vermin. Besides this, the beautiful furs derived from these animals are a source of immense profit to man. For the same purpose, fox farms have been established in many parts of the world.
4 min read 
