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Maned Wolf

 
Animal Encyclopedia: Maned wolf
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Chrysocyon brachyurus

TAXONOMY

Canis brachyurus (Illiger, 1815), Paraguay. No subspecies are recognized. The maned wolf is genetically distinct from most of the other South American canids.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

German: Mahned wolf; Spanish: Lobo de crin, lobo guara.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Maned wolves, at 29.1–34.2 in (74–87 cm) at the shoulder, stand taller than all but the largest gray wolves, but at 44.1–50.7 lb (20–23 kg), they weigh less than half that of most wolves. They have the longest legs in proportion to their spine of any canid. Their skulls and teeth are not dissimilar from those of coyotes with long, fine canines. Their coat color is a distinctive golden red with dark hairs on the back of the neck creating a small mane. The lower legs are black and the throat and often much of tail is white.

DISTRIBUTION

The species occurs in the southern two-thirds of Brazil, extending south and west into Uruguay, Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, and northern Argentina.

HABITAT

The species can live in a variety of habitats outside the rainforest. However, it appears that its long legs evolved for life in the grasslands and pampas. It can survive in areas of mixed farming and will forage in lightly wooded areas.

BEHAVIOR

The maned wolf is probably the most solitary of the canids. Males and females appear to share a defended territory of up to 12 mi2 (30 km2), but interactions between the pair are said to be very uncommon. Their bold white markings on the tail and throat allow visual signals to be communicated at a distance as does the harsh bark and typical patterns of marking by urine and feces. Maned wolves may leave feces high up on rocks and termite mounds.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

The only comprehensive study of diet showed that most abundant food was the fruit of a bush related to the tomato. Overall plant and animal material were equally common with rats and mice, birds and lizards also taken. The species has a reputation for eating chickens. Almost all foraging is done from dusk to dawn.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Monogamous. Breeding is very seasonal with a small litter size of 2–6 young. The pups are born in a protected site above ground, in a rock crevice or thick bush. The species long legs may make it hard to dig. The role of the male in helping to raise the young in the wild is still not clear. Usually only a single animal is seen with the young. In captivity however, male maned wolves will provision young. It takes about a year for the young to develop to their full height.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Although the range of the species is large, it seems that they live at very low population densities. With an estimate of only one wolf per 116 mi2 (300 km2), the world population may be under 3,000. The species is persecuted for raiding hen houses, and does not live in areas of intensive settled agriculture. On the positive side, it has been able to colonize areas where forests have been recently cleared. Although officially protected and recognized as endangered in its native lands, it is listed only as Lower Risk/Near Threatened by the IUCN.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

The maned wolf is usually uncommon with only minor significance to humans.

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WordNet: maned wolf
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Home > Library > Literature & Language > WordNet
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: reddish-gray wolf of southwestern North America
  Synonyms: red wolf, Canis rufus, Canis niger

Wikipedia: Maned Wolf
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Maned Wolf [1]
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Caninae
Genus: Chrysocyon
C. E. H. Smith, 1839
Species: C. brachyurus
Binomial name
Chrysocyon brachyurus
(Illiger, 1815)

The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.

This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south-eastern Brazil (Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Goiás,Central North America and São Paulo), Paraguay, northern Argentina, Bolivia east and north of the Andes,[3] and far south-eastern Peru (Pampas del Heath only).[4] It is very rare in Uruguay. IUCN lists it as near threatened,[2] while it is considered vulnerable by the Brazilian government (IBAMA). It is the only species in the genus Chrysocyon. It is locally known as aguará guazú (meaning “large fox”) in the Guarani language, as "lobo guará" in Portuguese and as "lobo de crin" in Spanish.

Contents

Description

A captive Maned Wolf at Beardsley Zoo
Maned wolf skull

The Maned Wolf has often been described as "a Red Fox on stilts" owing to its similar coloration and overall appearance, though it is much larger than a Red Fox and belongs to a different genus. The adult animal stands almost 1 m (3.3 ft) tall at the shoulder, and weighs 20 to 25 kg (44 to 55 lb).[5] The maned wolf is the tallest of the wild canids. The long legs are probably an adaptation to the tall grasslands of its native habitat.[6] (Because of these long legs the Maned Wolf isn't really considered to be a true wolf, for wolves' legs are not longer than their bodies, yet the Maned Wolf's are.) Fur of the Maned Wolf maybe reddish brown to golden orange on the sides with long, black legs and a distinctive black mane. The coat is further marked with a whitish tuft at the tip of the tail and a white "bib" beneath the throat. The mane is erectile, and is typically used to enlarge the wolf's profile when threatened or when displaying aggression.

The maned wolf is also known for its distinctive odor, which has earned it the nickname "Skunk Wolf."

Habits

Hunting and territoriality

Unlike other large canids (such as the Gray Wolf, the African Hunting Dog, or the Dhole) the Maned Wolf does not form packs.[5] It hunts alone, usually between sundown and midnight. It kills its prey by biting on the neck or back, and shaking it violently if necessary.[7] Monogamous pairs may defend a shared territory of about 30 km2 (11.6 sq mi), though the wolves themselves may seldom meet, outside of mating. The territory is crisscrossed by paths that the wolves create as they patrol at night. Several adults may congregate in the presence of a plentiful food source; a fire-cleared patch of grassland, for example, which would leave small vertebrate prey exposed to foraging.

Both male and female Maned Wolves use their urine to communicate, e.g. to mark their hunting paths, or the places where they have buried hunted prey.[7] The urine has a very distinctive smell, which some people liken to hops or cannabis. The responsible substance is very likely a pyrazine, which occurs in both plants. (In the Rotterdam Zoo, this smell once set the police on a hunt for cannabis smokers.[8])

Maned Wolf pup

Reproduction

The mating season ranges from November to February. Gestation lasts 60 to 65 days, and a litter may have up to 2 to 6 black-furred pups, each weighing about 450 g (16 oz). These pups are fully grown in about one year.[7]

Diet

The Maned Wolf specializes in small and medium-sized prey, including small mammals (typically rodents and hares), birds, and even fish.[9][7] A large fraction of its diet (over 50%, according to some studies) is vegetable matter, including sugarcane, tubers, and fruit (especially the Wolf Apple (Solanum lycocarpum).[10] Captive Maned Wolves were traditionally fed meat-heavy diets and developed bladder stones. Zoo diets now feature fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and dog chow.

Relations with other species

The Maned Wolf participates in symbiotic relationships with the plants that it feeds on, as it carries the seeds of various plants, and often defecates on the nests of leafcutter ants. The ants then use the dung to fertilize their fungus gardens, and later discard the seeds onto refuse piles just outside their nest. This process significantly increases the germination rate of the seeds.[11] The wolf is particularly susceptible to infection by the giant kidney worm, a potentially fatal parasite that may also infect domestic dogs. The Maned Wolf is not a true, common prey species for any other predator, though it may be attacked or killed by feral domestic dogs.

Relations with humans

The Maned Wolf is said to be a potential chicken thief; it was once also considered a threat to cattle and sheep, though this is now known to be false. In Brazil, the animal was historically hunted down for some body parts, notably the eyes, that were believed to be good luck charms. However, as it is now classified as vulnerable by the Brazilian government, it is afforded protection from poachers. Wolves are also threatened by habitat loss and being run over by cars. Wolves risk both physical harm and catching diseases from domestic dogs. The Maned Wolf is generally shy and flees when alarmed, and it poses little direct threat to humans. It occurs in several protected areas, including the national parks of Caraça and Emas in Brazil. The Maned Wolf is well represented in captivity, and has been bred successfully at a number of zoos, particularly in Argentina.

Taxonomy

The Maned Wolf is not closely related to any other living canid. It is apparently a survivor from the Pleistocene fauna of large South American mammals; its closest living relative is the Bush Dog (genus Speothos), with a more distant relationship to other South American canines (the Short-eared Dog, the Crab-eating Fox and the 'false foxes' or Pseudalopex).[12]

A study published in 2009 based on DNA evidence, showed that the extinct Falkland Islands Wolf was most closely related to the Maned Wolf, and shared a common ancestor with it about 6 million years ago.[13] An earlier study,[14] published in 2003, on the brain anatomy of several canids placed the Maned Wolf indeed together with the Falkland Islands Wolf, though with pseudo-foxes of the genus Pseudalopex as well.

Gallery

Chrysocyon brachyurus sitting.JPG
ManedWolf4.jpg
Maned wolf-aguara guazu.jpeg
Chrysocyon jubatus (Harvard University).JPG

References

  1. ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=14000790. 
  2. ^ a b Rodden, M., Rodrigues , F. & Bestelmeyer, S. (2008). Chrysocyon brachyurus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 22 March 2009. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened.
  3. ^ Langguth, A. (1975). "Ecology and evolution in the South American canids". in M. W. Fox, ed.. The wild canids: their systematics, behavioral ecology and evolution. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. pp. 192–206. 
  4. ^ Sillero-Zubiri, Hoffmann, & Macdonald (eds). 2004.Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs - 2004 Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group.
  5. ^ a b Dietz, J. M. (1984). "Ecology and social organization of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)". Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 392: 1–51. 
  6. ^ Dietz, James (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 31. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 
  7. ^ a b c d Cristian Frers. "Un lobo de crin llamado Aguará Guazú". http://www.internatura.org/estudios/informes/lobo.html. Retrieved 2007-04-23. 
  8. ^ Süddeutsche Zeitung, 2006-09-02, p3
  9. ^ Juarez, Keila Macfadem; Jader Marinho-Filho (November 2002). "Diet, habitat use, and home ranges of sympatric canids in central Brazil". Journal of Mammalogy 83 (4): 925–934. doi:10.1644/1545-1542(2002)083<0925:DHUAHR>2.0.CO;2. 
  10. ^ Motta-Junior, J. C., S. A. Talamon, J. A. Lombardi, AND K. Simokomaki (1996). "Diet of maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, in central Brazil". Journal of Zoology (London) 240: 277–284. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1996.tb05284.x. 
  11. ^ O. Courtenay. "Conservation of the Maned Wolf: fruitful relationships in a changing environment". Canid News, Vol. 2, 1994. http://www.canids.org/PUBLICAT/CNDNEWS2/manedwf2.htm. 
  12. ^ Kerstin, Lindblad-Toh; Claire M Wade, Tarjei S. Mikkelsen, Elinor K. Karlsson, David B. Jaffe, Michael Kamal, Michele Clamp, Jean L. Chang, Edward J. Kulbokas III, Michael C. Zody, Evan Mauceli, Xiaohui Xie, Matthew Breen, Robert K. Wayne, Elaine A. Ostrander, Chris P. Ponting, Francis Galibert, Douglas R. Smith, Pieter J. deJong, Ewen Kirkness, Pablo Alvarez, Tara Biagi, William Brockman, Jonathan Butler, Chee-Wye Chin, April Cook, James Cuff, Mark J. Daly, David DeCaprio, Sante Gnerre, Manfred Grabherr, Manolis Kellis, Michael Kleber, Carolyne Bardeleben, Leo Goodstadt, Andreas Heger, Christophe Hitte, Lisa Kim, Klaus-Peter Koepfli, Heidi G. Parker, John P. Pollinger, Stephen M. J. Searle, Nathan B. Sutter, Rachael Thomas, Caleb Webber (2005-12-08). "Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog". Nature 438: 803–819. doi:10.1038/nature04338. 
  13. ^ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121449.htm
  14. ^ Lyras, G.A., Van der Geer, A.A.E. 2003. External brain anatomy of the Canidae. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 138: 505-522. London. doi: 10.1046/j.1096-3642.2003.00067.x

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Animal Encyclopedia. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2005 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Maned Wolf".  Read more