Basenji
A barkless hunting dog from Central Africa with a yodel-like call.
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Instead of a typical bark, the Basenji produces a distinctive yodel-like vocalization, a trait linked to its uniquely shaped larynx.[1]
Biology and range
Another local name is m'bwa m'kube, meaning "dog that jumps up and down".[2] The Basenji has just two copies of the AMY2B gene, which codes for an enzyme that aids in starch digestion.[3][4] The breed's African origin is linked to ancient Egyptian art, which depicts dogs with curled tails and erect ears—a type called Tesem—in murals dating back 4,500 years.[5] The Swahili phrase mbwa shenzi means "savage dog".[2]
Among the Azande people of South Sudan, these dogs are referred to as ango angari.[6] A 2004 UK Kennel Club survey found that Basenjis had a median lifespan of 13.6 years, which is 1–2 years greater than the median for other breeds of comparable size.[7]
What the specialist sources record
Joshua J. Mark's account states the Basenji is among the best attested dog breeds in ancient Egypt.[8] The Basenji was used in hunting small game and as a companion, family pet, and guard dog in ancient Egypt.[8] Mark notes the Basenji is the most often cited as the inspiration for the image of Anubis, the god of the dead.[8] Fanconi syndrome, an inheritable renal disorder, is unusually common in Basenjis.[9]
A simple recessive gene, when present in two copies, can cause genetic haemolytic anaemia in Basenjis.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: American Kennel Club, "Basenji", 15 November 2024; Adapted from the book Why Pandas Do Handstands, 2006, by Augustus Brown.; "BCOA African Stock Project – 1945 Letter from Africa", Basenji Club of America (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: de Lavigne, "Free Ranging Dogs: Stray, Feral or Wild?", Lulu Press, August 2023 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Edwards, "Chromosome-length genome assembly and structural variations of the primal Basenji dog (Canis lupus familiaris) genome", BMC Genomics, 2021, p. 188 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Freedman, "Genome Sequencing Highlights the Dynamic Early History of Dogs", PLOS Genetics, 2014; Edwards, "Chromosome-length genome assembly and structural variations of the primal Basenji dog (Canis lupus familiaris) genome", BMC Genomics, 2021, p. 188 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dollman, "The Basenji Dog", Journal of the Royal African Society, April 1937, p. 148–149; Joshua J. Mark, "Dogs in Ancient Egypt", World History Encyclopedia, 13 March 2017; "Basenji History", Basenji Club of America; Annie Shanley, "Man's Best Friend: Dogs in Pharaonic Egypt", Wonders & Marvels, 26 June 2014 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "BCOA African Stock Project: My Journey into the Home of the Basenji", Basenji Club of America (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kennel Club/British Small Animal Veterinary Association Scientific Committee. 2004. Purebred Dog Health Survey . Retrieved 5 July 2007 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Joshua J. Mark, "Dogs in Ancient Egypt", World History Encyclopedia, 13 March 2017. facts only, no text reused. worldhistory.org
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Noonan, "Prevalence and Geographic-distribution of Fanconi syndrome in Basenjis in the United States", Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1990, p. 345–349 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Basenji" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Basenji Health Issues", basenjiweb.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Basenji (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Basenji (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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