Kinship, maternal effects, and management: Juvenile mortality and survival in captive African painted dogs, Lycaon pictus.

In 77 African painted dog (Lycaon pictus) litters born in North American zoos since 1998, pup mortality at 30 days was 53% (n = 478). More alarmingly, 52% of those 77 litters had zero pups surviving at 30 days. Many variables may have the potential to affect pup mortality in captivity, including kinship, maternal age, prior maternal breeding experience, and numerous social and husbandry factors. Data on these variables were obtained from the North American Regional Studbook, with supplemental information compiled from a survey sent to painted dog breeding facilities in North America. Survival curve analysis revealed significant effects for maternal age and kinship, with kinship being most significant (χ2 , df = 19.71, 1; P < 0.0001). Pups born to unrelated parents had a median age at death two orders of magnitude higher than pups born to parents who were related to each other. Pup mortality was also lower for experienced mothers and for females under 2.5 years or between 4.5 and 6.5 years old. Follow-up analyses of these findings indicated that among first-time mothers, the youngest females achieved the lowest juvenile mortality, while juvenile mortality for experienced mothers was relatively low in all age classes until 6.5 years old. Regression analysis indicated that chances of survival are improved for pups born to younger mothers, unrelated parents, and in packs of >2 individuals. Enclosure size and area per animal may also be important factors. Our findings indicate that specific characteristics can be used to predict and potentially reduce pup mortality in captive African painted dogs. Zoo Biol. 35:367-377, 2016. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.