Dingo Coloring Page

Dingo

It is estimated that the Dingo was brought to Australia around 5,000 years ago.  There were possibly brought to Australia by Man.  It is possible that some escaped captivity and became the wild breed now known as the Dingo.  Another theory points to the possibility that Dingoes migrated on thier own as wild animals and came over from New Guinea around 6500 - 8000 years ago . . . when sea levels were lower and Australia and New Guinea made up one continent.  DNA evidence shows that the Dingo split off from the New Guinea Singing Dog around that time.  

Dingoes are medium sized Canines.  There is currently a concern that the wild dingo population is being diluted because of cross breeding with dogs.  They have been hunted as well because they prey on domesticated livestock like sheep and cattle. 

Basically, the Wild Dingo IS a dog.  They have some features, like shorter snout etc. that are different from most dog breeds.  Due to the effects of evolution the Wild Dingos are very well adapted for speed, stamina, and agility.  Traits that would be essetial for a wild predator to survuve.  Dingo classification is kind of confusing.  It has been called a few scienfic names:  Canis familiaris dingo, Canis lupus dingo, and Canis dingo.  I should mention that both Dingoes and the New Guinea Singing Dog came from the same lineage that produced the domesticated dog.  

Dingos hunt pretty much any animal from birds to crabs up to large mammals like kangaroos.  Some Dingos were domesticated by Aborigines and they are one of the animals in thier Dreamtime stories.
Dingos are found wild in most parts of Australia.