DK Eyewitness South Africa

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FIELD GUIDE Animal Directory

Dogs and Hyenas

Two other major families of large carnivore in South Africa are Canidae (dogs) and Hyaenidae (hyenas). Spotted hyenas are socially complex animals, and wild dogs are riveting to watch, especially while denning.

TAXONOMY

Dogs and hyenas look similar, but their evolutionary lines split about 45 million years ago. The suborder Feliformia comprises cats, mongooses and hyenas. Caniformia includes seals, bears, otters, pandas and dogs.

FIELD GUIDE Animal Directory

Black-Backed Jackal (LC)

Species Canis mesomelas Seen Kruger, Kgalagadi, Madikwe

The black-backed jackal is most active at dusk and dawn, and its shrill yelping is a typical sound of the African ...