The Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus) is a canid found in Central and South America, including Panama, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru (West of the Andes), Ecuador, the Guyanas, Paraguay, North-East Argentina (Misiones province), and Brazil (from the Amazon rainforest to the state of Santa Catarina). In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare; it was originally discovered as fossils in Brazilian caves and thought to be extinct. It is the only species in its genus, Speothos.
In Brazil it is called cachorro-vinagre (Vinegar Dog) or cachorro-do-mato (Wild Dog). In Spanish-speaking countries it is called perro vinagre, zorro vinagre (Vinegar Fox), perro de agua (Water Dog), or perro de monte (Mountain Dog).
The Bush Dog has soft long brownish-tan fur, with a lighter reddish tinge on the head, neck and back and a bushy tail. The underside is dark, sometimes with a lighter throat patch. Adults normally have 55–75 cm of head and body, plus 13 cm of tail, and weigh 5–7 kg. Legs and snout are short relative to body length: the typical height is only 25–30 cm.
It is definitely carnivorous and hunts during the day, preferably in savannahs and tropical and equatorial forests. Its typical prey is the Paca (Agouti paca), a large rodent. Although it can hunt alone on occasion, the Bush Dog is usually found in small packs of up to 10–12 individuals, which can bring down much larger prey. It may be the most gregarious among South American canid species. It is a good swimmer (thanks to its webbed feet). It uses hollow logs and cavities (e.g. Armadillo burrows) for shelter.
The gestation period is 63 days, and a litter can have up to six dark grey pups. Lactation lasts approximately 8 weeks. The Bush Dog is sexually mature at 1 year and lives for about 10 years.
See also
- Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), one of its closest relatives.
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