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Adriana

Canidae

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Canidae (/ˈkænɪdiː/;[3] from Latin, canis, “dog”) is a biological family of dog-like carnivorans. A member of this family is called a canid (/ˈkeɪnɪd/).[4] There are three subfamilies found within the canid family, which are the extinct Borophaginae and Hesperocyoninae, and the extant Caninae.[5] The Caninae are known as canines,[6] and include domestic dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes and other extant and extinct species.

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Canids are found on all continents except Antarctica, having arrived independently or accompanied human beings over extended periods of time. Canids vary in size from the 2-metre-long (6.6 ft) gray wolf to the 24-centimetre-long (9.4 in) fennec fox.

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The body forms of canids are similar, typically having long muzzles, upright ears, teeth adapted for cracking bones and slicing flesh, long legs, and bushy tails.

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They are mostly social animals, living together in family units or small groups and behaving cooperatively. Typically, only the dominant pair in a group breeds, and a litter of young are reared annually in an underground den.

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Canids communicate by scent signals and vocalizations. One canid, the domestic dog, long ago entered into a partnership with humans and today remains one of the most widely kept domestic animals.

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