Details
Chrysocyon brachyurus
The maned wolf is a long-legged South American canid of open grasslands. Despite its name, it is not a pack wolf and eats a great deal of fruit.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It lives in Neotropical grassland and savanna. Tall grass, wetland edges, and shrubland provide a mix of visibility and cover.
Length 95-132 cm; weight 20-30 kg. Very long legs, reddish fur, black lower legs, a dark mane, and large ears make it distinctive.
Crepuscular and pair-living, it often forages alone within a shared territory. Strong-smelling urine marks paths and boundaries.
An omnivore, it eats small mammals, birds, insects, and fruit. Plant foods, including lobeira fruit, can be a major part of the diet.
Pairs share a territory, and females give birth in sheltered sites. Pups receive food from adults before dispersing as they mature.
It is listed as Near Threatened. Conversion of grassland, road deaths, and diseases from domestic dogs are important threats.
