There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
01-17-2019, 09:28 PM( This post was last modified: 01-17-2019, 09:31 PM by Shadow )
From this site can be found overall information about dholes and conservation.
What comes to pack sizes here is said, that large pack can have even 25 adult dholes:
"In India, Dholes form relatively large packs (usually five to 10, but up to 25 adults) to efficiently hunt large numbers of prey, as well as to protect litters, which are usually large (usually five to 10, but up to 12 pups; Johnsingh 1982, Venkataraman et al. 1995, Durbin et al. 2004)."
About competition with other species this much:
"Competition with other species: Aside from humans, the main competitors of Dholes for limited resources are Tigers (Panthera tigris) and Leopards (P. pardus). Although Dholes are much smaller in body size, packs of Dholes reportedly have killed both Tigers and Leopards, although the reverse also has been reported (Burton 1940). The dominance hierarchy between Dholes and Tigers is not clear, although Dholes likely avoid tigers especially if packs are small. Dholes appear to be behaviourally dominant over Leopards, and packs of Dholes often tree this species when they interact (Venkataraman 1995). Whether large felids can negatively affect Dhole numbers is unknown, although the exploitive and interference competition between them likely becomes more intense as prey populations are reduced by humans, possibly resulting in spatial exclusion where prey numbers are lowest. Free-ranging dogs also may compete with Dholes for limited food resources where prey numbers are low. "
And then this is in the end:
"Research needs More research is needed on Dholes to better understand their ecology and assist conservation efforts. These include: 1) develop cost-effective surveys to determine the abundance of Dholes, as data on Dhole numbers would allow us to better understand their conservation status; 2) investigate the genetic and morphological differences between the putative northern and southern Dholes, and the distinctiveness of other putative subspecies such as the Sumatran and Javan Dholes; 3) determine the area and prey requirements needed to maintain a viable Dhole population; 4) investigate the effects of disease on Dhole population dynamics, and; 5) investigate effects of Dholes on ecosystems, specifically their interactions with other large carnivores, and their impacts on prey and smaller carnivores. "