The African Wild Dog's scientific Latin' name is 'Lycaon pictus' (meaning painted wolf) – but this name, like all the other most commonly used names, is misleading. The African Wild Dog is only a very distant relative of the Grey wolf (Canis lupus) and of the Grey wolf’s modern descendent – the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). 1) It is not a domestic dog gone wild despite being called 'African Wild Dog', or 'African Hunting dog', or 'Cape Hunting Dog 'or simply 'Wild dog'. 2) It is not a wolf despite its Latin name Lycaon pictus. The wolf (Canis lupus ) is the direct ancestor of both ancient and modern domestic dogs. It is not a direct ancestor of Lycaon pictus. 3) Unlike the domestic dog and the wolf, Wild Dogs do not bark or howl. Their characteristic vocalisations are – a bird-like twittering and a submissive whining call and a distinctive plaintive sound, known as a “hoo-call”, given when dogs are separated from their pack.