GC: n

S: IUCN – https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/1990-008.pdf (last access: 22 April 2025); AKC – https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/what-makes-animal-canid/ (last access: 22 April 2025).

N: 1. “a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family” (dogs, wolves, foxes, jackals), 1879, from Modern Latin Canidae, from Latin canis “dog” (from PIE root *kwon- “dog”) + -idae.

2. any of a family (Canidae) of carnivorous animals that includes the wolves, jackals, foxes, coyotes, and the domestic dog.

3. Paleontology; Mammals: canidae.

• A family of Carnivora which includes dogs, foxes and wolves.

4. canid is a mammal in the biological family Canidae. This family includes foxes, wolves, dogs, coyotes, jackals, and more.

Canids first evolved about 40 million years ago in North America. By using both the Bearing sea land bridge and the bridge created by the uncovering of Central America, over a span of millions of years, they were able to greatly expand their range. Now, they extend the world over and inhabit all continents with the exception of Antarctica.

A canid was the first animal to be domesticated, as the dog descended from their wild wolf counterpairts.

Canids vary widely in size. The smallest canid is the fennec fox, at about 24 cm (9.4 in) in length and 0.6 kg (1.3 lb) in weight. The largest canid is the gray wolf, at up to 160 cm (5.2 ft) long, and weighing up to 79 kg (174 lb).

Some canids have a purely carnivorous diet (like the African painted dogs and dholes) and some are omnivores (coyotes and red foxes), but none are solely herbivores. This can be determined by their dentition that consists of sharp canine teeth and the carnassials (the upper pre-molar and lower molar), which are optimized for shearing meat and tendons. The upper is used for cutting and the lower carnassial is used for grinding. The ratio between the upper and the lower defines the canids dietary habits.

Canids are often very social animals, living in large packs. Dholes have been known to have packs with up to 40 members. This social nature could explain why it was a canid that first came out of the wild and formed a special partnership with humans.

Canids are truly a treasure of the natural world.

S: 1. Etymonline (last access: 22 April 2025). 2. MW – https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canid (last access: 22 April 2025). 3. TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=CANIDE&index=alt&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 22 April 2025). 4. Jabcecc – https://www.jabcecc.org/the-canids-of-the-world (last access: 22 April 2025).

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CR: dog days, felid, forest, jungle, prairie, rabies, savanna, taiga, tropical rainforest, tundra, zoonosis.