The Children's Theatre Ed Pack (2007)

Part Two

Bloodhound[1]

· Country of Origin: Great Britain

· Believed to be an ancient dog

· Early bloodhounds were black or white

· Became popular with Church dignitaries in 12^th century

· Arrived in the USA in early 19^th century

· Widely used by law enforcement as a tracking dog

· Also kept as a companion

· Also know as the St. Hubert Hound

· Able to follow a scent that is hours or even days old over long distances

· Life span of 8-12 years

Physical Description

· Large and powerful dog

· Thin, loose skin that hangs in folds

· Long, narrow head

· Long, deep foreface

· Hazel to yellow eyes that are deeply sunk with heavy lids

· Long, lowset ears that fall in folds

· Large nose

· Profuse wrinkles on face and neck

· Long neck with a large dewlap

· Deep chest

· Long, sickle like tail

· Large, knuckled paws

· Short coat in black and tan, liver and tan, or red

· May be a small amount of white on chest, feet or tail

· Height: 58-69cm (23-27 inches)

· Weight: 36-50kg (80-110 pounds)

Temperament

· Good natured and outgoing

· Affectionate

· Can be somewhat shy and tends to be sensitive

· Vocal, often stubborn

· Tends to slobber

· Difficult to train

Possible Health Concerns:

· Bloat, cardiac problems, ear infections, eye problems, hip and elbow dysplasia, thyroid disorders

Dingo[2]

· Dingoes are feral dogs. They are mammals, however they are not marsupials

· They are not native to Australia, as’ it is believed that the came to Australia with Aboriginal hunters about 4000 years ago’

· ‘The dingo is legendary as Australia's wild dog, though it also occurs in Southeast Asia’[3]

· They have larger canine teeth, compared to that of domestic pet dog

· Dingoes are located throughout mainland Australia, but not on any islands, including Tasmania

· Their colour ‘can range from reddish-yellow through to black’, however they a usually found to be creamy-yellow

· ‘Dingoes have white tips on their toes and tail, and a whitish belly and throat’

· A dingo has more in common with a wolf than a domestic dog. The head and teeth are similar, as well as their triangular-shaped ‘ears that point straight up’

· Dingoes have strong claws, yet soft paws. It is their long legs that allow them to be fast hunters

· Dingoes can weigh up to 15 kilograms

· ‘Dingoes live in small packs with one male leader’. They may form larger packs to go hunting when food is scarce, or when hunting larger prey

· Dingoes are carnivores, which means they eat meat. ‘They usually hunt alone or in pairs’. They normally only drink once a day

· ‘They eat most animals, but prefer rabbits, rodents and kangaroos’

· ‘Dingoes do not bark. If they are hurt, they will yelp or whine’. They communicate by howling, just like coyotes

· ‘In the wild, dingoes bury their droppings. This hides where they have been’

· They have no natural enemies, with the exception of humans. They normally hunt after dark, but if need be during the day too

· They believed that dingoes were responsible for the extinction of Thylacines from the mainland

BREEDING CYCLE

· ‘Dingoes breed once a year, in autumn’. The young are called pups

· Pups are born about seven weeks after mating. The young are born blind

· They drink their mother’s milk, but are weaned off after about four to five months. This is when a dingo is old enough to help with hunting

· ‘Pups are born in small caves, hollows logs, rock piles or old rabbit warrens’

· All members of the pack help to rear a new pup. They reach maturity at around seven months

· ‘Dingoes generally live to ten years of age’

Fox[4]

	most active during the early hours of darkness and very early morning hours
	solitary animals
	wide variety of calls: bark, scream, howl, yap, growl, or make sounds similar to a hiccup
	use their urine and faeces to mark their territories
	may cause serious problems for poultry producers

FAMILY

	Smallest member of the dog family, which also includes wolves, coyotes, jackals and dogs
	belong to the family Canidae

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

	most foxes are about the size of a cat
	Short legs
	Elongated narrow muzzle
	Erect triangular ears
	Thick fur
	Long bushy tail
	Swift, agile runners

HABITAT

	Found throughout the Americas, Eurasia and Africa
	Mostly forest, chaparral and desert regions

DIET

	Mice, voles, rabbits, birds’ eggs
	Fruit
	Large insects
	Carrion
	fawns, pigs, kids, lambs, and poultry are sometimes taken
	Because their prey is small, foxes are solitary rather than pack hunters

BREEDING

	Mate in midwinter
	49-56 day gestation period
	vixen bears 2-8 cubs
	cubs are born with their eyes closed and are attended by both parents for about 5 weeks
	by fall the young leave or are driven from the territory

THE RED FOX

	Most common species of fox
	dog-like in appearance
	classified as Vulpes vulpes
	elongated pointed muzzle
	large pointed ears that are usually erect and forward
	moderately long legs
	long, thick, soft body fur with a heavily furred, bushy tail
	Typically coloured with a light orange-red coat, black legs, lighter-coloured underfur and a white-tipped tail
	90 to 105 cm long (not including tail)
	weighs about 7kg
	distinguished by black ears and feet and a white tip on tail
	coat is usually some shade of rusty-red or reddish-brown
	can reach a speed of 48km/h
	ranges across Eurasia and North Africa and from northern Mexico to the Arctic
	usually prefers open country with moderate cover
	may dig their own dens or use abandoned burrows of a woodchuck or badger
	those of the south are smaller and have lighter-coloured coats
	those of the north are larger with thicker, darker coats
	keen sense of smell, hearing and sight
	sometimes kill more than they can eat and bury food in caches for later use
	were introduced to Australia to cope with its plague of previously introduced rabbits
	the silver fox – valued for its black, frosted fur – is simply a variant of the red fox
	lifespan is about 12 years
	are believed to pair for life

THE GREY FOX

	smaller than the red fox
	weigh 7 to 13 pounds (3.2 to 5.9 kg)
	measure 32 to 45 inches (81 to 114 cm) from the nose to the tip of the tail
	classified as Urocyon cinereoargenteus
	coat is coarse with salt-and-pepper grey hair
	sides of the neck, back of the ears, legs, and feet are rusty yellow
	tail is long and bushy with a black tip
	ranges from southern Canada to northern South America
	inhabits mostly forests and arid bush country
	prefer more dense cover such as thickets, riparian areas, swamp land, or rocky pinyon-cedar ridges
	commonly use wood piles, rocky outcrops, hollow trees, or brush piles as den sites
	can also be found in urban areas where suitable habitat exists
	only member of the dog family known to climb trees

THE SWIFT FOX

	classified as Vulpes velox
	shy
	fast-running
	nocturnal
	lives in the Great Plains of southern Canada and the northern United States
	about two-thirds the size of the red fox
	also called a kit fox

THE ARCTIC FOX

	classified as Alopex lagopus

	ranges throughout the Arctic
	coat is white in winter and brown in summer
	ears are short, heavily furred and rounded, which limits the dispersal of heat
	small percentage are blue, changing from dark bluish-grey in summer to a pale bluish-grey in winter
	do not hibernate
	eat whale carrion, scraps left from polar bear kills and possibly young seals

[1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodhound

Mehus-Roe, K. (ed) (2005). The original dog bible. Irvine, California: Bowtie Press.

[2] Information from: Thomas, A (1999) Australian Animals: Dingoes, South Yarra: Macmillian Education Australia.

[3] Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingo

[4] http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761565627/Fox_(animal).html

http://www.crittercontrol.com/?doc=resources_af_foxes