Hoo n Twitter

It was mentioned before that African wild dogs are the most social of the canids. They are also known for their complex vocalizations, some of which are unique to the species. Before Africa wild dogs hunt, they approach each other with their head down, ears folded back and mouths open. They then greet one another by touching and rubbing muzzles, licking, and biting. These greeting behaviors are characteristic of begging in pups and this is thought to be where these behaviors originated. During socialization, African wild dogs emit high-pitched squeaking sounds known as “twitters.” They also whimper, squeal, and whine. Unlike wolves, wild dogs do not howl. When they are lost they “hoo,” which is a vocalization that is short, low, and owl-like. It is even believed wild dogs mix the different sounds that they can make to signal ambivalence.

Sound byte of “twitters”:

http://www.awdconservancy.org/wav/twitters.wav

Sound byte of “hoos”:

http://www.awdconservancy.org/wav/hoos.wav

References:

http://www.awdconservancy.org/natural%20history.html

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-wild_dog.html