Geographical Variation in Coat Colour is Associated With Climate and Habitat in African Wild Dogs Lycaon pictus

Variability in a trait can increase species' ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, which may reduce extinction risks under global environmental change. The African wild dog, Lycaon pictus , is an endangered species which exhibits geographical variation in coat colour, occupies a range of habitats, and also shows behavioural, demographic and phenological responses to weather conditions. We used a machine learning algorithm to estimate the relative proportions of black, tan, and white fur from 490 unique georeferenced photographs from across the species' current range. We found that wild dog coats had higher proportions of tan and white, and lower proportions of black, in hotter and drier areas. Wild dog coats also had higher proportions of white in wooded habitats, including mopane Colophospermum mopane woodland. We speculate that wild dogs' dappled coats provide camouflage in woodland, and that paler (tan or white) fur may provide a selective advantage in hotter and drier regions, through more efficient thermoregulation. Our findings indicate likely adaptive variation in a trait which could inform conservation decisions.