Hallstrom’s Dog Skull is an exact replica that is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw).
The New Guinea singing dog or New Guinea Highland dog is an ancient (basal)lineage of dog found in the New Guinea Highlands, on the island of New Guinea.
Once considered to be a separate species in its own right, under the name Canis hallstromi, it is closely related to the Australian dingo. The Hallstrom’s Dog is relatively unusual among canines; it is one of the few to be considered “barkless” (hence its common name of “singing dog”), and known for its unusual “yodel”-like style of vocalizing.
In 2019, a workshop hosted by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group considered the New Guinea singing dog and the dingo to be feral dogs Canis familiaris, and therefore should not be assessed for the IUCN Red List.
In 2020, a nuclear genome study indicates that the highland wild dogs from the base of Puncak Jaya, within the Tembagapura district in the Mimika Regency of Papua, Indonesia, were the population from which captive New Guinea singing dogs were derived.
The study revealed that the wild dogs show much more genetic diversity than the captive animals, which are severely inbred. This indicates the wild population is healthy. The size and distribution of the wild population is not known.
Hallstrom’s Dog is a small to medium size dog species. They have a wedge-shaped head and triangular, upright ears. These dogs have a soft, thick coat and a bushy tail. The eyes of the singing dog are reflective and glow bright green in low light conditions.
New Guinea Singing Dogs can live up to 15 years in captivity. Their lifespan in the wild is unknown. New Guinea Singing Dogs have relatively short legs and a broad head. They typically, at the shoulder, measure 12-18 inches and can weigh between 20-30 pounds.
Meal leftovers show that singers prey on small mammals, small reptiles, and birds; they even try to hunt 3.5-foot-tall dwarf cassowaries! New Guinea singing dogs have a strong hunting drive, fearless nature, and they are highly curious.
