Canidae
Canidae is the family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals commonly known as canines. It includes dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes, and jackals. These animals are all digitigrades, meaning they walk on their toes.
A classification of dogs
Note that the subdivision of Canidae into "foxes" and "true dogs" may not be in accordance with the actual relations, and that the taxonomic classification of several canines is disputed. Recent DNA analysis has shown, however, that Canini and Vulpini are valid clades, with the exception of two genera: Nyctereutes and Otocyon. These are canid " outgroups" and are not closely related to vulpines nor canines. Speothos and Chrysocyon are primitive members of Canini, but might be placed in their own clade. Cuon may in fact be part of Canis and there is evidence that Alopex and Fennecus are not valid clades, but are both part of Vulpes. The Domestic Dog is listed by some authorities as Canis familiaris and others (including the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists) as a subspecies of the Wolf (i.e., Canis lupus familiaris); the Red Wolf may or may not be a full species; and the Dingo, which is variously classified as Canis lupus dingo, Canis dingo and Canis familiaris dingo.
True dogs - Tribe Canini
Genus Canis
Coyote, Canis latrans
Wolf, Canis lupus
Domestic Dog, Canis lupus familiaris
Dingo, Canis lupus dingo
many other proposed subspecies
Red Wolf, Canis rufus
Ethiopian Wolf, Canis simensis (also called Abyssinian Wolf, Simien Fox and Simien Jackal)
Jackal
Golden Jackal, Canis aureus
Side-striped Jackal, Canis adustus
Black-backed jackal, Canis mesomelas
Genus Lycaon
African Hunting Dog, Lycaon pictus (also called African Wild Dog)
Genus Cuon
Dhole, Cuon alpinus
Genus Nyctereutes
Raccoon Dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides
Genus Atelocynus
Short-eared Dog, Atelocynus microtis
Genus Speothos
Bush Dog, Speothos venaticus
Genus Chrysocyon
Maned Wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus
(Genus Dusicyon extinct)
( Falkland Island Fox, Dusicyon australis extinct)
Genus Pseudalopex
Culpeo, Pseudalopex culpaeus
Darwin's Fox, Pseudalopex fulvipes
Argentine Grey Fox, Pseudalopex griseus
Pampas Fox, Pseudalopex gymnocercus
Sechura Fox, Pseudalopex sechurae
Hoary Fox, Pseudalopex vetulus
Genus Cerdocyon
Crab-eating Fox, Cerdocyon thous
Foxes - Tribe Vulpini
Genus Vulpes
Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes
Swift Fox, Vulpes velox
Kit Fox, Vulpes macrotis
Corsac Fox, Vulpes corsac
Cape Fox, Vulpes chama
Pale Fox, Vulpes pallida
Bengal Fox, Vulpes bengalensis
Tibetan Fox, Vulpes ferrilata
Blanford's Fox, Vulpes cana
Rueppel's Fox, Vulpes rueppelli
Steppe Fox, Vulpes corsac
Fennec, Fennecus zerda
Genus Alopex
Arctic Fox, Alopex lagopus
Genus Otocyon
Bat-eared Fox, Otocyon megalotis
Genus Urocyon
Gray Fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Island Fox, Urocyon littoralis
The deciduous or baby teeth formula is 3 1 3, where molars are completely absent.
Canine copulation
When copulating, a male canine initially mounts the female from behind, as with most tetrapods. The male dog has a bulbus glandis at the base of the penis, a spherical erectile tissue which traps the penis inside the female's vagina during copulation as it becomes engorged with blood. Once the penis is locked into the vagina by the bulbus glandis, the male lifts a leg and swings it over the female's back while turning around. The two stand with their hind ends touching and the penis locked inside the vagina while ejaculation occurs, decreasing leakage of semen from the vagina. Then the bulbus glandis disengorges, allowing the mates to separate.
Virgin dogs can become quite distressed at finding themselves unable to separate during their first copulation.
