Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

MammalCanidSouth America

Overview

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the tallest wild canid in South America and one of the most distinctive in the world — a striking animal that looks like a large red fox set on impossibly long, black, stilt-like legs. Despite the name and appearance, it is neither a true wolf nor a fox, but the only species in its own genus, an isolated branch of the dog family. It has a reddish-gold coat, big ears, and a dark mane along the neck and shoulders that it can raise.

Those long legs are an adaptation for seeing over the tall grasses of its grassland home, and the maned wolf has another surprise: unlike most wild dogs, a large part of its diet is fruit. It is also famous for its powerful, skunk-like scent marking, which has earned it the nickname “skunk wolf.”

Note: details here cover the maned wolf as a species; treat general statements as approximate and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Maned wolves live in central South America — across Brazil and into Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru — mainly in the tall-grass and scrub habitats of the cerrado and other grasslands, savannas, and wetland edges. Their long legs suit moving and looking out over the high grass, and they favour open, mixed landscapes rather than dense forest.

Diet

The maned wolf is an omnivore with an unusually fruit-heavy diet for a canid: alongside small mammals (such as rodents), birds, reptiles, and insects, it eats a great deal of fruit, especially a tomato-like plant often called the “wolf apple,” which can make up a large share of its food. By eating fruit and dispersing the seeds, the maned wolf is an important seed-disperser of its grassland plants.

Behavior

Maned wolves are mostly solitary and active around dusk and night, hunting alone rather than in packs — quite unlike wolves. They typically hunt small prey by stalking and pouncing, pinning prey with their forefeet, and they forage widely across large territories. A breeding pair shares and defends a territory but often forages separately. The maned wolf communicates over distance with a deep, far-carrying bark called a “roar-bark,” and with potent scent marks: its urine has a strong, distinctive smell (likened to skunk or cannabis) that signals its presence across the grassland. The raised mane is used in display when the animal is alarmed or threatened.

Human Interaction & Conservation

The maned wolf is considered Near Threatened, with the loss and conversion of its grassland habitat to farmland the chief concern, along with road deaths, disease from domestic dogs, and conflict with people. It is shy and not dangerous to humans, and it is legally protected in much of its range and features in conservation and zoo-breeding programmes. As a wild, specialised animal, it is not suited to life as a pet. Consult the IUCN Red List for current status.

More photos of the maned wolf