© Dave Hamman/Gettyīlack-footed cats are astonishingly active and successful nocturnal hunters – one scientist’s observations show they make a hunting attempt every 30 minutes, and are successful 60% of the time, making them one of the world's most efficient predators They eat a wide variety of prey, from gerbils and shrews to small birds and insects, and make 10-14 kills every night. Black-footed cat - 60% successful kills A black-footed cat disturbed while hunting in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana. African wild dogs are now considered close to the base of the wolf-like canids.Ģ. However, research has shown that morphological similarities among these species are no longer considered to show common ancestry between the species. Previous studies have grouped wild dogs with dholes and bush dogs. However, grey wolves, coyotes, dogs and jackals are all in the Canis genus, whereas African wild dogs are the only extant (living) species in the Lycaeon genus. Like wolves and dogs, African wild dogs do belong to the Canidae family. African wild dogs are neither wolves nor dogs, despite their common English names, and the fact that their scientific name, Lycaeon pictus, translates to ‘painted wolf’. The largest canid in Africa is also classified as Endangered. That’s not the whole story, however – they may lose half of their kills, ranging from small impalas to wildebeest 10 times their weight, to other carnivores such as hyenas and lions. The lean frames and endearingly large ears of African wild dogs are deceptive – they are one of the most successful predators anywhere, with a kill rate per chase of more than 85 per cent. African wild dogs - 85% successful kills A pack of African wild dogs in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. Our apex predator guide looks at animals that hunt in the wild, comparing common prey and the hunting success rates of each species from the most successful apex predator - African wild dogs - to the least. However the success rate of each species can vary with pack animals more likely to successfully kill their prey. Common predators include wolves, lions, cheetahs, and other big cats. Predators need to kill and eat other animals to survive, but for many species most pursuits end in failure, while smaller hunters risk losing their hard-won meals to bigger beasts. Apex predators in the wild: which mammals are the most dangerous?īeing an apex predator at the top of the food chain is tough.
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