Atelocynus microtis

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Infraordo: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohors: Eutheria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Laurasiatheria
Cladus: Ferae
Ordo: Carnivora
Subordo: Caniformia

Familia: Canidae
Genus: Atelocynus
Species: Atelocynus microtis
Subspecies: A. m. microtis – A. m. sclateri
Name

Atelocynus microtis (Sclater, 1883)

Type locality: "Amazons," restricted by Hershkovitz (1957a) to "south bank of the Rio Amazonas, Pará, Brazil."
Synonyms

Canis microtis Sclater, 1883
Dusicyon microtis (Sclater, 1883)

References

Sclater, P. L. 1882. "Reports on the additions to the Society's menagerie in June, July, August, September, and October." Proceedings Zoological. Society, London, 1882: 631.
Atelocynus microtis in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
IUCN: Atelocynus microtis {Sclater, 1883) (Near Threatened)
Atelocynus microtis (Sclater, 1883) – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Kurzohrfuchs
English: Short-eared Dog
español: Zorro de oreja corta
suomi: Pienikorvakettu
français: Chien des buissons aux oreilles courtes
polski: Wilczek krótkouchy
português: Cachorro-do-mato -de-orelhas-curtas
Türkçe: Kısa kulaklı tilki

The short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis), also known as the short-eared zorro or small-eared dog,[2][3] is a unique and elusive canid species endemic to the Amazonian basin.[1][2] This is the only species assigned to the genus Atelocynus.[1]

Other names

It has many names in the local languages where it is endemic, such as: cachorro-do-mato-de-orelha-curta in Portuguese, zorro de oreja corta in Spanish, nomensarixi in the Chiquitano language, and uálaca in Yucuna. Other names in Spanish are zorro ojizarco, zorro sabanero, zorro negro.
Evolution and systematics

After the formation of the Isthmus of Panama in the latter part the Tertiary (about 2.5 million years ago in the Pliocene), canids migrated from North America to the southern continent as part of the Great American Interchange. The short-eared dog's ancestors adapted to life in tropical rainforests, developing the requisite morphological and anatomical features. Apart from its superficial resemblance to the bush dog, the short-eared dog seems not to be closely related to any fox-like or wolf-like canid.[4] It is one of the most unusual canids.[5]

Two subspecies of this canid are recognized:[1]

A. m. microtis
A. m. sclateri

Occurrence and environment
Short-eared dog in the Amazon rainforest

The short-eared dog can be found in the Amazon rainforest region of South America (in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and possibly Venezuela).[1] There is a single report of "three slender, doglike animals" of this species sighted in the Darien region of Panama in 1984 by German biologist Sigi Weisel and a native Embera nation Panamanian; this rare species' presence in Panama is possible because of "the continuous mass of forest habitat that covers this region".[3] It lives in various parts of the rainforest environment, preferring areas with little human disturbance. It lives in both lowland forests known as Floresta Amazônica and terra firme forest, as well as in swamp forest, stands of bamboo, and cloud forest.[6] It is a solitary animal and prefers moving in trees away from human and other animal interactions.[7]
Appearance
Short-eared dog fur skin (Atelocynus microtis), fur skin collection, Bundes-Pelzfachschule, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Short-eared dog skull

The short-eared dog has short and slender limbs with short and rounded ears. It has a distinctive fox-like muzzle and bushy tail. Its paws are partly webbed, helping adapt it to its partly aquatic habitat.[8]

Its fur ranges from dark to reddish-grey, but can also be nearly navy blue, coffee brown, dark grey, or chestnut-grey to black, and the coat is short, with thick and bristly fur.[5] It has a somewhat narrow chest, with dark color variation on the thorax merging to brighter, more reddish tones on the abdominal side of the body.
Diet

This wild dog is mainly a carnivore, with fish, insects, and small mammals making up the majority of its diet. An investigation led in Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Peru into the proportions of different kinds of food in this animal's diet produced the following results: fish 28%, insects 17%, small mammals 13%, various fruits 10%, birds 10%, crabs 10%, frogs 4%, reptiles 3%.
Reproduction and behavior

This species has some unique behaviors not typical to other canids. Females of this species are about one-third larger than males. The excited male sprays a musk produced by the tail glands. It prefers a solitary lifestyle, in forest areas. It avoids humans in the natural environment. Agitated males raise the hairs on their backs.[9]

Lifespan and gestation period are unknown, although sexual maturity is reached at three years of age, which is relatively late compared to other canid species.[10]
Threats, survival, and ecological concerns

Feral dogs pose a prominent threat to the population of short-eared dogs, as they facilitate the spread of diseases such as canine distemper and rabies to the wild population. The short eared dog suffers a lot from lost of habitat. There is a lot of disturbance of formerly remote South American forests, and almost no habitat except where human settlers and prospectors pass daily destroy or expose their dens. Humans also contribute to their extermination by degradation of the species' natural habitat and the general destruction of tropical rainforests.
Manú National Park, Madre de Dios, Peru
Status of conservation

The short-eared dog is currently considered near threatened by IUCN.[2] No comprehensive ecological and genetic research has been carried out on the species.

Wikispecies has information related to Atelocynus.
References

Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Leite-Pitman, M.R.P.; Williams, R.S.R. (2011). "Atelocynus microtis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T6924A12814890. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T6924A12814890.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
de la Rosa, Carlos L.; and Nocke, Claudia. A Guide to the Carnivores of Central America: Natural History, Ecology, and Conservation. Austin: University of Texas Press; 2000. Accessed on November 4, 2015 at: https://books.google.com/
(R. Burton; International Wildlife Encyclopedia, 2002).
"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
"Atelocynus microtis (Short-eared Dog, Short-eared Fox, Small-eared Dog, Small-eared Zorro)". redlist.org. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
Giaimo, Cara (2020-05-04). "The Ghost Dogs of the Amazon Get a Bit Less Mysterious". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
"Atelocynus microtis: Information". ADW: Animal Diversity (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu). University of Michigan. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
ebcc Archived 2012-10-16 at the Wayback Machine

"Short-eared dog? Uncovering the secrets of one of the Amazon's most mysterious mammals". Mongabay Environmental News. 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2020-07-25.