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What the sources say

DingoCanis familiaris

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Dingo profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 59 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

Profile updated

Source
01

Australian Museum

Dingo. Australian Museum.

The page saysCanis lupus, the grey wolf
The source saysDomestic dogs are descended from the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus).Note: body and FAQ 1; the museum's naming of Canis lupus
The page saysThe Australian Museum's factsheet, updated in 2026, goes further and lists the dingo as a breed
The source saysScientific name: Canis familiaris (breed Dingo) Author(s) Sue Burrell, Dr Mark Eldridge Updated 26/05/26Note: 'updated in 2026' is the page's own 'Updated 26/05/26'; dates the museum's position
The page saysthe Australian Museum's factsheet calls it a breed of domestic dog
The source saysIt is an ancient breed of domestic dog that was introduced to AustraliaNote: FAQ 1
The page saysAn adult dingo stands 44 to 62 cm at the shoulder, weighs 12 to 24 kg
The source saysShoulder height: 440-620mm, Body length: 860-1230mm, Tail: 260-380mm, Body mass: 12-24kg.Note: 440-620mm converted to 44-62cm; the page's 'Size Range' is the grown animal's (pups are 'fully grown by seven months of age')
The page sayscan live for up to 10 years
The source saysadult Dingoes can live for up to 10 years
The page sayswhich rarely barks: it howls to call its pack and marks its territory with scent
The source saysDingoes rarely bark. They howl, particularly at night in an effort to attract pack members or to ward off intruders. Other forms of communication include scent-rubbing, defecating and urinating on objects to mark territorial boundaries.Note: tagline
The page saysA wide range of habitats on mainland Australia, from desert to its preferred woodland and grassland near forest edges, limited only by access to water
The source saysin the desert areas, the fur is more golden yellow ... Dingoes can live in a wide range of habitats found on the Australian mainland. Their preference is woodland and grassland areas that extend to the edge of forests. They are only limited by access to viable water sources.Note: stats.habitat; 'desert' from the same page's coat-colour section
The page saysIt never reached Tasmania, and is now mostly absent from many parts of the south-east
The source saysDingoes inhabited many parts of mainland Australia but never reached Tasmania. After European colonisation and the growth of pastoralisation, there was a concerted effort to remove Dingoes from farming areas. As a result, Dingoes are mostly absent from many parts of New South Wales, Victoria, the south-eastern third of South AustraliaNote: stats.habitat; current page (updated 26/05/26)
The page saysMostly mammals, especially rabbits, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats; farm livestock when native prey is scarce, and failing that reptiles, birds, insects and whatever else it can find
The source saysMammals form the main part of their diet especially rabbits, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats . When native species are scarce they will hunt domestic animals and farm livestock. ... Failing this, the Dingo will eat reptiles and any food source it can find including insects and birds .Note: stats.diet, in the source's order
The page saysRarely barks. It howls to call its pack together or warn off intruders, and marks the edges of its territory with scent: rubbing, urinating and defecating on objects
The source saysDingoes rarely bark. They howl, particularly at night in an effort to attract pack members or to ward off intruders. Other forms of communication include scent-rubbing, defecating and urinating on objects to mark territorial boundaries.Note: stats.superpower
The page saysA dingo's diet is built around mammals, especially rabbits, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats
The source saysMammals form the main part of their diet especially rabbits, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats .
The page saysWhen native species are scarce, it will hunt domestic animals and farm livestock, and failing that, it eats reptiles, insects, birds and any other food it can find
The source saysWhen native species are scarce they will hunt domestic animals and farm livestock. ... Failing this, the Dingo will eat reptiles and any food source it can find including insects and birds .
The page saysIt scavenges at night and hunts alone, but forms larger packs to hunt bigger game
The source saysScavenging at night, the Dingo is a solitary hunter but will form larger packs when hunting bigger game.
The page saysDingoes are also thought to have contributed to the extinction of the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, on the Australian mainland, by competing with it for food
The source saysIt is thought that the Dingo contributed to the extinction of mainland Thylacines (Tasmanian Tiger) by becoming competition for the available food sources.
The page saysA Territory Marked in Scent
The source saysOther forms of communication include scent-rubbing, defecating and urinating on objects to mark territorial boundaries.Note: heading
The page saysA dingo occupies a clearly defined territory it leaves rarely and will defend against other dingoes, though territory is known to be shared when dingoes form packs to hunt
The source saysDingoes occupy a clearly defined territory, which they leave rarely and will defend against other Dingoes. However, territory is known to be shared when Dingoes form packs for hunting.
The page saysA howl, seldom a bark
The source saysDingoes rarely bark. They howlNote: blockquote lead-in
The page saysDingoes rarely bark. They howl, especially at night, to call pack members together or warn off intruders
The source saysDingoes rarely bark. They howl, particularly at night in an effort to attract pack members or to ward off intruders.Note: blockquote and FAQ 2
The page saysThey also communicate with scent, rubbing, urinating and defecating on objects to mark the edges of
The source saysOther forms of communication include scent-rubbing, defecating and urinating on objects to mark territorial boundaries.Note: blockquote and FAQ 2
The page saysa territory they leave rarely and will defend against other dingoes
The source saysDingoes occupy a clearly defined territory, which they leave rarely and will defend against other Dingoes.Note: FAQ 2
The page saysA Gene Pool Under Pressure
The source saysToday, the main threat to the Dingo comes from their contact with other breeds of domestic dog, Canis familiaris. The push of urban settlement into outback Australia allows for increased interbreeding between the two and will dilute the Dingo gene pool.Note: heading
The page saysThe main threat to dingoes today is contact with domestic dogs
The source saysToday, the main threat to the Dingo comes from their contact with other breeds of domestic dog, Canis familiaris.Note: current page (updated 26/05/26); 'other breeds of' dropped so the sentence takes no side on the taxonomy
The page saysAs towns spread into the outback, the two interbreed more often, which will dilute the dingo's gene pool
The source saysThe push of urban settlement into outback Australia allows for increased interbreeding between the two and will dilute the Dingo gene pool.Note: 'towns' for 'urban settlement'; the gloss 'the mix of genes a population carries' defines the term
The page saysfor a dog that rarely barks: it howls, particularly at night, to call its pack together or warn off intruders
The source saysDingoes rarely bark. They howl, particularly at night in an effort to attract pack members or to ward off intruders.Note: vibe.reason

Source
02

Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological Resources Study 2025

Species Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758. Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological Resources Study, 2025.

The page saysThe Australian Faunal Directory, a checklist of Australia's animals, lists the dingo under the domestic dog's name, Canis familiaris
The source saysSpecies Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758 Dingo , Common Dog, Domestic DogNote: body; the AFD entry for Canis familiaris lists 'Dingo' first among its common names
The page saysThe Australian Faunal Directory, a checklist of Australia's animals, lists it as Canis familiaris
The source saysSpecies Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758 Dingo , Common Dog, Domestic DogNote: FAQ 1

Source
03

Queensland Government 2025

Dingo overview. Queensland Government, 2025.

The page saysCanis familiaris
The source saysThe current scientific name is Canis familiaris (dingo).Note: scientificName; AFD, ITIS (TSN 726820: 'Valid Name: Canis familiaris') and the Australian Museum agree
The page saysand so does the Queensland government
The source saysThe current scientific name is Canis familiaris (dingo).Note: body
The page saysQueensland's government calls attacks on people relatively rare
The source saysWhile dingoes have the potential to be dangerous to humans, statistically the incidence of attacks on humans is relatively rare.Note: FAQ 4
The page saysbut warns that a dingo is a wild animal and can be dangerous
The source saysDespite looking like a domestic dog, the dingo is a wild animal and can be dangerous.Note: FAQ 4
The page saysespecially one that has learned to link people with food and lost its natural fear of them
The source sayslearn to associate humans with food through handouts, unsecured food items or poorly disposed rubbish scraps. As a consequence, dingoes may become familiar and lose their natural fear of humans.Note: FAQ 4

Source
04

Heagney & Loram 2023

Heagney & Loram (2023). K'gari has suffered a spike in dingo attacks: what is behind it and what can we humans do to avoid them? ABC News.

The page saysOn K'gari (Fraser Island), the last reported fatal attack was in 2001, when a dingo killed a nine-year-old boy who had tripped and fallen near a campsite
The source saysThe last reported fatal attack occurred in 2001, when nine-year-old boy Clinton Gage was killed by a dingo after tripping and falling near a campsite on the island.Note: FAQ 4; the boy is not named on the page

Source
05

Smith et al. 2019

Smith et al. (2019). Taxonomic status of the Australian dingo: the case for Canis dingo Meyer, 1793. Zootaxa.

The page saysnamed three times in quick succession: Canis familiaris dingo in 1780, Canis antarticus in 1792 and Canis dingo in 1793
The source saysThe dingo was first named C. familiaris dingo Blumenbach, 1780; and shortly after C. antarticus Kerr, 1792 and C. dingo Meyer, 1793.Note: body and FAQ 1; 'in quick succession' paraphrases 'shortly after'
The page sayswhich makes it a subspecies
The source saysAny changes to the current nomen of the dingo (currently Canis dingo Meyer, 1793), must therefore offer a strong, evidence-based argument in favour of it being recognised as a subspecies of Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758, or as Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758Note: body and FAQ 1; the gloss 'or distinct population' defines the term for the reader
The page saysCanis familiaris, the domestic dog
The source saysWe apply this approach to respond to Jackson et al. (2017) who most recently proposed that dingoes are a domestic dog (C. familiaris), to reaffirm that dingoes are dingoes (C. dingo).Note: body and FAQ 1
The page saysIn 2019, Smith and colleagues replied that the dingo is its own species, Canis dingo
The source saysWe apply this approach to respond to Jackson et al. (2017) who most recently proposed that dingoes are a domestic dog (C. familiaris), to reaffirm that dingoes are dingoes (C. dingo).Note: body and FAQ 1; 2019 is the paper's year (Published: 2019-03-04 on the publisher page)
The page saysgenetically, physically and behaviourally distinct from every other member of its genus
The source saysthe Australian dingo is a geographically isolated (allopatric) species from all other Canis, and is genetically, phenotypically, ecologically, and behaviourally distinctNote: body and FAQ 1; 'physically' for 'phenotypically'; 'every other member of its genus' is 'all other Canis' (the paper: 'Genus Canis'); 'ecologically' dropped, not added
The page saysappearing to still live largely as a wild animal
The source saysthe dingo appears largely devoid of many of the signs of domestication, including surviving largely as a wild animal in AustraliaNote: body and FAQ 1; keeps the source's 'appears'
The page saysAn Australia-wide genetic study, published in 2011 and 2015 and summarised in a 2019 review, found that 46% of the dingoes sampled had no dog ancestry
The source saysAn Australia-wide study looking at the extent and spatial pattern of dingo–domestic dog admixture (Stephens 2011; Stephens et al. 2015) ... Overall, 46% of dingo samples were classified as having no dog ancestry.Note: dated in the sentence: Stephens 2011 and Stephens et al. 2015, as reported by Smith et al. 2019 (the review's own year)
The page saysThe south-east, with its dense human settlement and best farmland, had the most mixing: only 1 to 4% of the animals tested there showed no sign of dog ancestry in their genes
The source saysThe southeast of Australia had the highest proportion of dingo-dog admixture, with only 1–4% of tested animals showing no dog-like genetic markers. This is not surprising given the density of human settlement and the location of the best land for agriculture in the southeastNote: same 2011/2015 survey; 'no sign of dog ancestry in their genes' for 'no dog-like genetic markers'

Source
06

Jackson et al. 2017

Jackson et al. (2017). The Wayward Dog: Is the Australian native dog or Dingo a distinct species? Zootaxa.

The page saysScientists have argued over the dingo's scientific name since the late 18th century
The source saysThe taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled and controversial since its initial description in 1792.Note: body; 'late 18th century' covers 1792. Jackson dates the first description to 1792, Smith 2019 to Blumenbach's 1780 name: either way the late 18th century
The page saysScientists have argued over that since the late 18th century
The source saysThe taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled and controversial since its initial description in 1792.Note: FAQ 1, same fact as the body
The page saysIt has also been called Canis lupus dingo
The source saysSince that time it has been referred to by various names including Canis dingo, Canis lupus dingo, Canis familiaris and Canis familiaris dingo.Note: body and FAQ 1
The page saysIn 2017, Jackson and colleagues proposed calling every free-ranging dog in the world, dingo included, Canis familiaris
The source sayswe proffer the name C. familiaris for all free-ranging dogs, regardless of breed and location throughout the world, including the Australian DingoNote: body and FAQ 1; 'proposed' for 'proffer', 'every' for 'all'; 2017 is the paper's year
The page saysarguing that the case for Canis dingo held up neither under the rules for naming animals nor on the genetic and body-shape evidence
The source saysThe recent proposal for Canis dingo as the most appropriate name is not sustainable under zoological nomenclature protocols nor based on the genetic and morphological evidence.Note: 'the rules for naming animals' glosses 'zoological nomenclature protocols'; 'body-shape' glosses 'morphological'
The page saysWith an Unsettled Name
The source saysThe taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled and controversial since its initial description in 1792.Note: heading; still unsettled in 2026: the museum's factsheet (updated 26/05/26) uses Canis familiaris, Smith et al. 2019 Canis dingo, and the Red List page read 2026-09-12 marks Canis lupus ssp. dingo no longer recognised

Source
07

Gordon et al. 2016

Gordon et al. (2016). Shrub encroachment is linked to extirpation of an apex predator. Journal of Animal Ecology.

The page saysAustralia's largest land predator
The source saysAustralia's largest terrestrial predator, the dingo (Canis dingo)Note: tagline and body; the current Australian Museum page agrees: 'Australia's largest mammal carnivore'
The page saysAn Apex Predator
The source saysOur study provides evidence linking the suppression of an apex predator to the historic encroachment of shrubs.Note: heading and body; the apex predator of the paper's title is the dingo
The page saysand an apex predator: a hunter at the top of its food chain
The source saysOur study provides evidence linking the suppression of an apex predator to the historic encroachment of shrubs.Note: body; 'a hunter at the top of its food chain' is the gloss of the term
The page saysYes: one study calls it Australia's largest terrestrial, or land-dwelling, predator
The source saysAustralia's largest terrestrial predator, the dingo (Canis dingo)Note: FAQ 3
The page saysApex predators, the hunters at the top of a food chain, can set off chain reactions that change the numbers of many species in an ecosystem
The source saysApex predators initiate trophic cascades which can influence the abundance of many species across multiple trophic levels within ecosystems.Note: FAQ 3; 'chain reactions' glosses 'trophic cascades'
The page saysIn the Strzelecki Desert, shrub cover was 26 to 48% greater where dingoes were rare than where they were common
The source saysin the Strzelecki Desert, Australia ... Shrub cover was 26–48% greater in areas where dingoes were rare than common.Note: FAQ 3
The page saysThe study's model suggests why: without dingoes, mesopredators (mid-sized predators) become more common and hold down the rodents and rabbits that eat shrub seeds and seedlings, so more young shrubs take root
The source saysOur structural equation modelling supported the hypothesis that dingo removal facilitates shrub encroachment by triggering a four level trophic cascade. According to this model, increased mesopredator abundance in the absence of dingoes results in suppressed abundance of consumers of shrub seeds and seedlings, rodents and rabbits respectively. In turn, suppressed abundances of rodents and rabbits in the absence of dingoes relaxed a recruitment bottleneck for shrubs.Note: FAQ 3; 'suggests' keeps 'supported the hypothesis'; 'more young shrubs take root' for 'relaxed a recruitment bottleneck'

Source
08

Davis et al. 2015

Davis et al. (2015). Interspecific and Geographic Variation in the Diets of Sympatric Carnivores: Dingoes/Wild Dogs and Red Foxes in South-Eastern Australia. PLOS ONE.

The page saysOne study looked at 5,875 scats (droppings) collected across Victoria, in south-eastern Australia
The source saysWe used the occurrence of food items in 5875 dingo/wild dog scats and 11,569 fox scats to evaluate interspecific and geographic differences in the diets of these species within nine regions of Victoria, south-eastern Australia.Note: the nine regions span beaches, coastal and montane forests, semi-arid rangelands and alpine grassland, so not 'Victoria's forests' as the writer had it
The page saysbetween 1983 and 2014
The source sayscollected from throughout Victoria during summer, autumn, winter and spring between 1983 and 2014
The page saysfrom dingoes, other wild dogs and their hybrids, whose scats can't be told apart
The source saysDingoes, wild dogs and their hybrids (hereafter referred to as ‘wild dogs’ because their scats are indistinguishable)Note: the study's 'wild dogs' covers all three, so the page's later 'the wild dogs' means the same group
The page saysThe key mammal foods in them were black wallabies, brushtail possums, common wombats, sambar deer, cattle and European rabbits
The source saysThe key mammalian food items for dingoes/wild dogs across all regions were black wallaby (Wallabia bicolor), brushtail possum species (Trichosurus spp.), common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), cattle (Bos taurus) and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Source
09

Corbett 2008

Corbett (2008). Canis lupus ssp. dingo. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T41585A10484199.

The page saysOn the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the dingo is still listed as Vulnerable under the name Canis lupus ssp. dingo, in an assessment from 2008
The source saysCanis lupus ssp. dingo is listed as Vulnerable under criteria A2eNote: hand check: read from the live Red List page in Chrome on 2026-09-12 (iucnredlist.org refuses scripts; GBIF has no subspecies category). 2008 is the assessment's year in its title and DOI
The page saysThe Red List now marks that concept as no longer recognised, and the assessment as needing an update
The source saysCanis lupus ssp. dingo (This concept is no longer recognised) ... Needs updatingNote: hand check, same live Red List page read in Chrome on 2026-09-12

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.