Description:
Golden-red fur with black legs, muzzle and "mane"; white under chin, inside ears and tip of tail. No underfur. Pups born black with white-tipped tail. L. 3 1/2 ft., H. 2 1/2-3 ft. at shoulder. T. 18 in., Wt. 50 lbs. Legs long, ears large, muzzle slender.
Breeding:
Mates in April; one litter of 2-5 young born June-September, after gestation of about 62-66 days.
Habitat:
Tropical savannah and tropical scrub forest, grasslands and swampy areas.
Range:
The highlands of central South America, including Brazil, Paraguay, n Argentina, e Bolivia and se Peru.
The maned wolf is, in actuality, not really a wolf at all but belongs in a species all alone. It looks like a cross between a long legged red fox (vulpus vulpus) and a gray wolf (canis lupus). The first thing that strikes you is the maned wolf's extremely long legs, which are used for seeing over tall grasses in its natural habitat. Another thing are its large ears, used for picking up the slightest sound of prey, such as rodents, running through the grass. They also help keep its body temperature down. The lack of underfur also serves this purpose. The maned wolf is nocturnal, usually resting during the heat of the day.
The maned wolf is an opportunistic eater; in other words it is omnivorous and will eat almost anything, such as small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, insects and seasonally available fruit. It uses its large ears to hear prey move around the ground and like a fox, it pounces upon its victim with its front feet from above once it has pinpointed its prey. Over long distances, the maned wolf walks at a pacing gate, where the legs on each side of the body move together.
Maned wolves are usually solitary for most of the year. A monagamous pair share the same territory but usually only interact during breeding season. A den is made in tall grass and thickets where 2-5 pups are born, blind. Males help to take care of the young and will regurgitate food for them, in captivity. However, in the wild little is known of the parenting behaviors. The pups open their eyes after 9 days and in 4 weeks take regurgitated food. In 15 weeks the litter is weaned and pups mature after a years. Sexual maturity takes place from 6 months to 2 years. Captive animals live from 12-15 years of age.
The maned wolf is currently an endangered species, the biggest threat to its existance being the destruction of its natural habitat arising from human agricultural development. Overgrazing by cattle, annual burning of pasture land, the cutting of land and induced erosion also contribute to the problem. With less unused land, a problem for the animal's need for a broad range in which to live, may lead to reproduction isolation, inbreeding and possibly extinction. They are not hunted for sport, however, they are killed occasionally by farmers and ranchers for destroying chickens. They are timid creatures, but seem to incorporate humans into their range and do not avoid humans.
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The Mexican Wolf