New Guinea Singing Dog by Scott Hanko
Via Flickr:
The New Guinea Singing Dog (Canis lupus hallstromi), known as NGSD, New Guinea Highland Dog, or Singer, is a type of wild dog that is native to New Guinea. Singers are classified as a subspecies of Canis lupus and related to the Australian Dingo. Singers have remained isolated from other dogs for almost 6000 years, making them possibly the oldest of the pariah dogs. Today the dwindling wild populations still exist in the Highlands, all that remain of a breed which is thought to have once inhabited the whole of the Island of New Guinea. No confirmed sightings had been reported for years until recently. At least one animal was reportedly sighted by local guides at Lake Tawa. In 1995, the entire captive population was estimated at approximately 300, but today there may be as few as 200. They are exceptionally intelligent, but hard to keep because of wild behavioural traits. With proper training and socialization, they will live with humans in a “home” environment. They are recognized as a breed by the United Kennel Club, which places them in the Sighthound & Pariah Group. New Guinea Singing Dogs are unique in their ability to howl in a wolf-like manner, but unlike wolves, Singers can modulate the pitch, hence their name. They have a fox-like appearance, with a double coat ranging in color from red to brown (with a melanistic mask in some individuals), and a characteristically large carnassial tooth. They stand between 14 and 18 inches (36 to 46 cm) at the shoulder and weigh 17 to 30 pounds (8 to 14 kg) as adults. They have proportionately short legs and large heads compared to other canis. They are shorter in height at the withers than dingoes. The skull is slightly wider than a dingo’s San Diego Zoo-San Diego Ca.
