Maned Wolf
by Deena Stoddard
Title
Maned Wolf
Artist
Deena Stoddard
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Standing at almost a meter tall, the maned wolf is the largest Canid in South America and the only member of its genus, Chrysocyon. With a golden-red coat, long pointed muzzle and large erect ears, it is similar in appearance to the red fox. However, its extremely long, thin legs make the maned wolf immediately recognizable and, with its fox-like attributes, have earned it the epithet "a fox on stilts". This distinctive feature is thought to be an adaptation to help the animal see above the tall grass of its habitat. The common name, maned wolf, is derived from the characteristic mane-like strip of black fur running from the back of the head to the shoulders, which stands erect when danger is sensed. The muzzle and lower legs are black, while the throat, inside of the ears and tip of the tail are white. The maned wolf hunts primarily at night, and during dusk and dawn hours, while the days are often spent resting, often in areas of thick bush cover. The diet consists of a wide variety of fruits and small mammals, such as armadillos and rabbits, but also includes occasional pampas deer, birds, reptiles, insects, fish and arthropods. The maned wolf's main source of food is the tomato-like lobeira fruit, which grows throughout its range and is thought to provide medicinal aid against a giant kidney worm. Scavenging on road-kill also occurs and free-ranging chickens are frequently stolen from farms. Unlike other wolves that live in cooperative breeding packs, the maned wolf is primarily solitary. Although the basic social unit is the male-female mated pair, which share a home range typically between 25 to 50 square kilometers, these individuals remain fairly independent of one another and only closely associate during the breeding season from April to June. The female gives birth to a litter of one to five pups each year (average of three) between June and September. Originally, it was believed that the female alone cared for the young, suckling them for up to 15 weeks. However, in captivity males have been observed grooming and defending pups, as well as feeding them by regurgitation. Pups reach sexual maturity and disperse from their natal home range at around one year old, but do not usually reproduce until the second year. Captive individuals have lived up to 16 years. The maned wolf is found in central South America, from north-eastern Brazil, south through Paraguay and west into Peru. It is also found in small areas of Argentina and Bolivia, and may still be present in some areas of Uruguay, despite being believed to be extinct there in the 19th century. The maned wolf prefers open habitats in tall grasslands, low-scrub edges of forests and even swampy areas. In Brazil, this species is found in the cerrado, a large area of open woodland and savannah that is one of the world's most important 'hot-spots' of biodiversity. This wolf was captured at Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri.
All images © 2011-2020 Deena Stoddard ~ All Rights Reserved
Uploaded
August 31st, 2013
Embed
Share
