Have you ever heard of the maned wolf? This wolf is a kind of mammal who lives mainly in the Çwrong Brazilian and is considered the biggest canid South American. In addition to the Brazilian territory, it can be seen
- in Argentine,
- in Bolivia,
- in Paraguay,
- in Peru
- in Uruguay.
Its scientific name is Chrysocyon brachyurus and is related to domestic dogs and wild wolves.
Read too: Anteater - animal that has three of its species present in Brazil
General characteristics of the maned wolf
- Long legs;
- big ears;
- reddish-orange hair on most of the body;
- it can reach up to a meter in height and weigh up to 30 kilos;
- presents a region on the back and on the fore and hind legs with black hair;
- on the animal's neck, inside its ears and on its tail, the hairs are white.
the maned wolf is usually seen at the end of the day, walking elegantly through the field areas. Does not pose great risks to humans, only attacking when they feel threatened, this behavior being very rare.
Maned wolf reproduction
They usually live alone and they only look for company during the breeding season.. They only reproduce once a year and gestation can last approximately 65 days. Usually 2 to 5 puppies are born, which initially have a black coat. The puppies are cared for by the mother and father.
Maned wolf feeding
Maned wolf's diet is omnivorous, as they feed on small animals and fruits. The wolf (solanum lycocarpum) received this name for serving as food for this animal, being considered an important and constant part of its diet. An interesting relationship emerged between this animal and the wolf. It was observed that the seeds, after passing through the maned wolf's digestive system, germinate faster when compared to those that did not. The wolf helps the wolf, and the wolf helps the wolf!
Maned wolf's feeding varies during the dry and rainy seasons of the Cerrado. when is the time for rain, he feeds more on fruits. When the season is dry, the low amount of plants makes this animal choose a diet more geared towards small animals.
See too: Panda bear - animal that feeds mainly on bamboo
Extinction risk
the maned wolf suffers a lot from the destruction of the environment, forcing them to look for other places to live and feed themselves. In this search, many are run over on roads. According to farmers, they attack the creation of chickens and pigs, so these animals, in addition to having their habitat destroyed, have to deal with hunting. Faced with so many problems, it's no wonder he is classified as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).
Therefore, it is of fundamental importance that projects for the preservation of the area inhabited by animals are carried out. The population must also help, not burning areas of the cerrado, not deforesting, not hunting and paying attention when traveling.
Together we can prevent the extinction of several species!
