Doggone it! You Brought the Whole Clade Over! Quiz

Answer: Side-striped jackal (Lupulella adusta)

The side-striped jackal can be found in woodland and scrub areas of Southern and Central Africa. The fur of the animal is largely grey with indistinct white stripes on the flanks. The side-striped jackal is a medium sized animal with adults generally weighing between 15 and 30 pounds.

The animal is more of an omnivore than some other canids with fruit and other plant-based matter making up a not insignificant part of its diet.

Answer: Short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis),

The short-eared dog or short-eared zorro is mostly found the basin of the Amazon River in northern South America. The animal is mostly carnivorous with fish being the most common item in its diet (as befits a partly aquatic animal). This animal has ears that are short and rounded as well as short legs. Adult female short-eared dogs tend to be somewhat larger than adult males.

Answer: Bush dog (Speothos venaticus)

The bush dog is found mostly in South America but can also be found in parts of Central America. The animals are diurnal and carnivores, hunting many large rodents. As adults, bush dogs typically weigh between 11 and 18 pounds and have short legs. Due to the number of chromosomes the bush dog has, it is unable to produce fertile hybrids when it mates with other canids.

Answer: Grey wolf (Canis lupus)

The grey wolf is the largest of living canids, weighing 88 pounds on average with examples well in excess of 100 pounds not unknown. It can be found in parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. The wolf is known for its full, fluffy coat of grey and white fur. Wolves have a largely carnivorous diet and focus on plant-eating mammals. Working in groups, they have even brought down moose on occasion.

Answer: Coyote (Canis latrans)

While related to the grey wolf, the coyote is somewhat smaller with a typical adult weighing between 20 and 40 pounds. It can be found throughout North America. Coyotes feast on a large number of animal species and even eat fruits and vegetables on occasion. Like wolves, coyotes will also work in groups to bring down prey. On occasion, coyotes will mate with dogs, creating offspring known as coydogs.

Answer: Dingo (Canis dingo)

The dingo can be found across a large part of the Australian continent. Quite a number of animals are prey of the dingo (including up to the size of the red kangaroo). The typical adult dingo weighs between 30 and 35 pounds. Common colors for the fur of dingoes is light tan, tan and black, and creamy white. The dingo exists in both a domesticated and feral state in Australia.

Answer: Golden jackal (Canis aureus)

The golden jackal or common jackal can be found in the southern Europe and Asia. The coat of the animal can range from a creamy yellow to a tawny beige. It is actually more closely related to wolves than other jackals. The golden jackal has an omnivorous diet that can include a large proportion of fruit and vegetables. Golden jackals mate for life.

Answer: Dog (Canis familiaris)

Dogs can be found throughout the world. Dogs were probably the first animal species to be domesticated by people and have been part of our lives for tens of thousands of years. Humans have bred dogs into hundreds of differing breeds of varying from chihuahuas to Great Danes. Dogs are relatively closely related to wolves and coyotes.

Answer: Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

The red fox is one of the true foxes and can be found naturally through the Northern Hemisphere and has been introduced into Australia. The adult fox typically weighs between 5 and 30 pounds, with females being somewhat smaller than males. Though the fur of the red fox can be a number of colors, red is the most common. Red foxes most commonly feed on small rodents.

Answer: Dhole (Cuon Alpinus)

The dhole is also known as the Asian wild dog and is mostly found on that continent. Dholes usually live in relatively large clans (up to 40). Adult dholes typically weigh between 25 and 40 pounds, with males somewhat larger. Fruit and vegetables are an important part of their diet but dholes also eat a large number of animals. Working in groups, they are also capable of bringing down large prey.