Bioacoustics of Speothos venaticus

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Bush Dogs are considered the most social of the small canids, reportedly living in groups ranging from 2-12 individuals, with most observed groups including 2-6 members. The ability of a pack to hunt cooperatively appears to be a primary benefit of the Bush Dog’s social organization. Estimated home range is between 4-6 and 4-7 km *. A monogamous pair-bond is likely with the offspring from multiple yearsliving with the pair. Urine-marking may be important for the formation and maintenance of pair-bonds. Bush Dogs tend to be associated with strong smell, lending evidence that urine is a particularly effective intra-specific communication medium. Males extrude the penis and move laterally, creating a spray rather than a stream, and females drag their ano-genital region over a surface or display either a forelimb handstand or a squat. The raised posture allows urine to be deposited some 150 mm higher than the spray of the male. Adult Bush Dog vocalizations have been classified as whines, repetitive whines, pulsed vocalization, screams, barks, and growls. Infants whine, grunt, growl, and bark; these vocalizations are thought to eitherelicit care or reduce aggression. The elaborate set of close-contact calls assists in communicating subtle changes in mood as well as changes in location.