Climate change is changing habitats worldwide. Many animal and plant species are adapting to the rising temperatures. So do the African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). The predators have their offspring about three weeks later than 30 years ago. In the long term, however, the wild dogs could do more harm than protection: Higher temperatures after birth cause the young animals a lot of trouble. This is what Briana Abrahms from the University of Washington in Seattle and her research team report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers evaluated data from 60 packs native to northern Botswana collected between 1989 and 2020. It turned out that the offspring were born later and later – on average around one week per decade. Towards the end of the observation period, the African wild dogs gave birth an average of 22 days later than at the beginning. Despite the generally rising temperatures, the puppies were born on the cool winter days that were optimal for them.
However, the delayed births brought with them a new problem, as the researchers discovered: the cold days were quickly followed by months that were too warm. During the observation period, the daily maximum temperatures rose by 1.6 degrees, and the annual maximum temperatures by 3.8 degrees. As a result, fewer puppies survived the sensitive first phase of life.
African wild dogs are sensitive to temperature differences. They have synchronized their breeding season with the coldest winter days. So far, the best weather conditions have prevailed for a successful hunt, on which the survival of the puppies depends. The young animals need a lot of energy in the first three months.