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Dingo Facts & Worksheets

A common name for a type of Australian canid, a dingo is greatly indistinguishable on morphological features from the closely related domestic dog.

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A common name for a type of Australian canid, a dingo (Canis lupus dingo) is greatly indistinguishable on morphological features from the closely related domestic dog. Classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN, dingoes have had a long relationship with Aborigines, recognized as a native animal under the laws of all Australian jurisdictions.

See the fact file below for more information on the Dingo or alternatively, you can download our 28-page Dingo worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Appearance

  • The dingo has long legs, a bushy tail, short fur, and straight-up, pointed ears. It has a relatively longer muzzle, larger carnassial, longer canine teeth, and a flatter skull with larger nuchal lines compared to similarly-sized domestic canines. 
  • Its dental formula is 3/3-1/1-4/4-2/3 = 42. It does not have the same degree of tooth crowding and jaw-shortening that sets apart other dog breeds from the wolves.
  • Adults stand 48 to 58 cm at the shoulders and weigh about 23 to 32 kg, though some species have reached 55 kg. The length from nose to tip of the tail is about 123 cm. Males are slightly larger than females.
  • Dingoes found in southern Australia appear to be smaller than those in northern and northwestern Australia. Australian dingoes are perpetually larger than Asian dingoes.
  • Its fur is generally yellow-ginger, though tan, black, white, sandy, and even brindle can occur. Albino dingoes have also been spotted and any other colors are signs of hybridization. Purebred dingoes have white fur on their feet and tail tip and do not have dewclaws on their back legs.
  • Dingoes have similar characteristics to that of the wolves and modern dogs and are seen as more or less unchanged descendants of an early ancestor of present-day canines. One of the distinct behavioral differences of dingoes from domestic dogs is the former’s breeding season, which only occurs once every year. Dingoes are also discovered to howl much and seldom bark.
  • They are also once assumed to be descendants of the Iranian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes). DNA analysis has shown that they are more closely associated with domestic dogs, implying that they were introduced from a group of domesticated canines, possibly on a single occasion during the Austronesian expansion into the islands of Southeast Asia.
  • The word dingo originated from the language of the Eora Aboriginal tribe, who were the first settlers of the Sydney area. The New Guinea singing dog is also categorized as Canis lupus dingo. 
  • The dingo is also called a warrigal.

Temperament and Behavior

  • Dingoes are mostly solitary canines, though the majority are members of packs that meet once every few days to socialize or mate. Scent marking, howling, and stand-offs against rival packs also take place during these frequent assemblies.
  • Packs of dingoes include three to 12 individuals in regions with less human disturbance, observing male and female dominance hierarchies that are identified through aggression. Successful breeding is usually limited to the dominant pair only, though subordinate pack members will help in taking care of the puppies.
  • The size of a dingo’s territory is mostly affected by terrain and prey resources and has nothing to do with the pack size. Dingoes wandering in southwestern Australia have the largest home ranges. There are also instances when they will disperse from their natal home ranges, with one species having been documented to travel 250 km. Male dingoes perform scent-marking more frequently than females, peaking during the breeding season.
  • Unlike domesticated dogs, dingoes do not bark much, and instead, they howl. Three basic howls with over 10 varieties have been noted. Howling is done to draw the attention of faraway pack members and get rid of intruders. In chorus howling, the pitch increases with the number of dingoes joining the long cries.

Dietary Habits

  • Over 170 diverse creatures have been identified in Australia as part of a dingo’s diet, ranging from insects to water buffalo.
  • Prey specialization is different based on the dingo’s geographical distribution. In Australia’s northern wetlands, dingoes commonly feed on magpie geese, dusky rats, and agile wallabies, while in arid central Australia, they usually prey on European rabbits, long-haired rats, house mice, lizards, and red kangaroos. In northwestern habitats, they are predators of eastern wallaroos and red kangaroos, while wallabies, possums, and wombats are eaten by dingoes in the east and southeastern highlands. In Asia, dingoes live in regions closer to humans, and will immediately feed on rice, fruit, and human refuse. They have also been spotted hunting insects, rats, and lizards in rural areas of Thailand and Sulawesi.
  • Dingoes in Australia will occasionally feed on livestock when resources become scarce.
  • They usually hunt individually when targeting small animals such as rabbits, and will hunt in packs for large prey like kangaroos.

Reproduction

  • Like wolves, dingoes reproduce once a year. Male dingoes are fertile throughout the year, while females are only approachable and open for mating during their yearly estrus cycle. Female dingoes reach sexual maturity at two years old, while males become sexually mature at one to three years. Dominant females within groups will usually enter estrus earlier than their subordinates. Dingoes held in captivity have a proestrus and estrus period that ends after 10 to 12 days, while those in the wild can last for two months.
  • Gestation period lasts 61 to 69 days, having five puppies in every litter, and are born from the months of May to July; however, dingoes in tropical habitats can give birth at any period of the year. There is usually a higher ratio of female dingoes born than males. 
  • Female dingoes give birth in caves, dry creek beds, or appropriated rabbit or wombat burrows. 
  • Dingo puppies become independent after three to six months, though some will still live in their natal packs until they reach 12 months.

Relationship with Humans

  • Dingoes migrated from mainland Asia, down to southeast Asia until they reached Australia and other parts of the Pacific region. They accompanied Asian seafarers throughout their expeditions over the last 5000 years. It is believed that these wild dogs appeared in Australia around 3500 to 4000 years ago, instantly spreading to all parts of the mainland continent and offshore islands.
  • They were initially kept by some Australian indigenous tribes for hunting, warmth, or as an emergency source of food.
  • European settlers did not find out about dingoes until the 17th century and originally labeled them as feral dogs. Captain William Dampier, who wrote about wild dogs in 1699, was the first European to officially recognize the dingo. 
  • Their numbers have prospered with the European’s introduction of domestic sheep and European rabbits to mainland Australia.
  • Although humans are not naturally preyed upon by dingoes, there have been some cases wherein they have attacked people. 
  • Currently, dingo puppies are only limited to Australia and it is illegal to export them.

Dingo Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Dingo across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Dingo which is classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN, dingoes have had a long relationship with Aborigines, recognized as a native animal under the laws of all Australian jurisdictions.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Dingo Facts
  • Creature Feature
  • Describing a Dingo
  • Fill in the Facts
  • Ask Yourself
  • Where to Find Me
  • Born to be Wild
  • Other Wild Canines
  • Dingoes and Doggos
  • All About Dingoes
  • Dingoes and Humans

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Link will appear as Dingo Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 16, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.