No matter how much you beg, a short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) will not come when you call. Even in the dense Amazon Rainforest – a haven for rare and sneaky species – these pups are so shy and uncommon that they’ve earned the nickname 'ghost dogs'.
Until recently, the short-eared dog was almost a complete mystery to scientists. Much of what is now known is thanks to Renata Leite Pitman, a biologist and veterinarian who became obsessed with these unusual canines around 2000.
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Short-eared dog: diet and behaviour
Working in Peru, Pitman started a project tracking short-eared dogs with radio collars. She discovered that the dogs are mostly loners and cleverly lazy: rather than dig their own homes, they squat in armadillo burrows when they need shelter.
In 2009, Pitman heard that a logger had found an abandoned short-eared dog puppy and sold him at a market. The dog’s buyer had second thoughts when his new puppy started eating the neighbours’ chickens. With permission from the national environmental agency, Pitman adopted the puppy, whom she named Oso (Bear).
He'd hoot like an owl at interested female dogs when he met them in the woods.
Her team started walking Oso on a leash through the rainforest, watching how he behaved. These forays attracted the attention of other short-eared dogs, allowing the scientists to observe the animals interacting for the very first time.
As Oso grew, Pitman's team was surprised to hear the previously silent dog roar at people he didn’t like and hoot like an owl at interested female dogs when he met them in the woods.
Oso’s observers also learned that short-eared dogs are not picky: in addition to meat and fish, Oso enjoyed a variety of fruits, including Brazil nuts, forest açaí, breadnuts, and eggfruits.
Why are short-eared dogs important?
Pitman now believes that the short-eared dog plays an important role in spreading the seeds of many plants and trees.
This discovery took on special significance in 2020, when a study confirmed that the short-eared dog is especially threatened by the Amazon’s high levels of deforestation. Protecting these little dogs could be essential to maintaining the Amazon’s biodiversity.
Where do short-eared dogs live?
Short-eared dogs live in the Amazon Rainforest south of the Amazon River and east of the Andes Mountains.
How to see short-eared dogs
Good luck! Short-eared dogs are so rare that even lifelong residents of the Amazon might never see one.
What happened to Oso?
As for their accidental ambassador? Oso stayed with Pitman’s team for just over a year, teaching them his doggy ways. In October 2010, Pitman removed his leash, and he trotted into the rainforest – off to do whatever mysterious things ghost dogs do.
Excerpted from Atlas Obscura: Wild Life by Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer (Workman Publishing). Copyright 2024. Written by Claudia Geib. Illustrations by Iris Gottlieb.
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