Bush dog

The bush dog has a reddish coat and a relatively short brown tail. It has a square head with small ears and short legs. The digits on its paws are connected by a membrane which aids swimming. It is a semiaquatic animal which is very much at home diving and swimming.

Bush dogs are found from Panama (Central America) to Argentina.

They live in strictly hierarchical groups of around 10 individuals, made up of several monogamous couples and the offspring of the dominant couple. They are diurnal, and at night they sleep in dens or tree hollows.

• 
  Habitat

  Wetlands, tree savannah, forest and marshes
• Food

  Large rodents (capybara), birds, amphibians and small reptiles

Did you know ?

This species was first described in 1842 based on fossils found in a cave in Brazil. A live specimen was not found until some time later. Some Indian tribes in Brazil breed bush dogs as pets.