Game Animals of India, etc. 



THE DHOLE, OR WILD DOG 



(^Canis \_Cyon\ sumatrensis) 



Native Names. — - Jangli-kutta^ Ram-kutta^ Son-kutta, 

 AND Ban-kutta in Hindustani ; Kolsun^ KoIasMa, 

 Kolasra^ and Kolsa^ Mahrathi ; Reza-kutta and 

 Adavi-kutta^ Telegu ; Shin-nai^ Malabarese ; 

 Eram-naiko^ Gond ; Tani^ Ho-Kol ; J^atai-karau^ 

 Tamil ; Ram-hun^ Kashmiri ; Siddaki^ Ladaki ; 

 Bhaosa^ Bhansa^ and Buansu in the Himalaya ; 

 Hazi AND Phara^ Tibet ; Paoho^ Bhotia at 

 Darjiling ; Sa-tum^ Lepcha ; Tau-khwe^ Bur- 

 mese ; Anjing-utan^ Malay. 



(Plate ix, fig. 5) 



The wild dogs of Asia, which are generically distinct 

 from the African hunting-dog, are distinguished from 

 domesticated dogs, wolves, jackals, and foxes by the 

 absence of the last pair of teeth in the lower jaw, so 

 that the total number of teeth is forty instead of forty- 

 two. Additional points of distinction are the relatively 

 shorter muzzle, the slightly convex (instead of straight 

 or concave) profile of the face, and the greater number 

 of teats possessed by the female, these forming either 

 six or seven pairs in place of the usual five. The 

 presence of long hairs between the naked pads on the 

 soles of the feet is another character in which the wild 

 dogs differ from more typical wild Canida. 



Whether these points of distinction are sufficient to 

 justify the separation of the wild dogs as a genus (Cyon) 

 apart from the wolves and jackals, may be a matter of 

 opinion. As a compromise, they may be regarded as 

 a subgenus, when the full title of the present species 

 will be Ca?iis (Cyon) sumatrensis. The Malay wild 

 dog, it may be mentioned, was described in 1822 as a 

 variety of domesticated dog, under the name of Canis 



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