O Guara wolf, also known as mane wolf, red wolf, turpentine and aguaraçu, is the largest canid of South America. That mammal it stands out for its long, thin limbs and for the color of its hair, which is reddish-orange in a large part of its body.
The maned wolf has a solitary life habit, being found forming couples only during the reproductive season and during parental care. It has great ecological importance, being an important seed disperser. Important symbol of the thick, this species today suffers from the destruction of its habitat.
Read too: Cerrado fauna and flora - characteristics, examples and threats
Scientific name of the maned wolf
The scientific name of the maned wolf is Chrysocyon brachyurus. see the biological classification full of this animal:
Maned wolf biological classification |
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Kingdom: animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Mammalia Order:carnivora Family: Canidae Gender:Chrysocyon Species: Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815) |
General characteristics of the maned wolf
The maned wolf is a canid that is between 95 cm and 115 cm long, about one meter tall, with a tail between 38 cm and 50 cm and weighing between 20 kg and 30 kg. Due to these characteristics, this animal is considered the
South America's largest canid. In addition to its size, the maned wolf stands out for its long and slender legs, which help it to move around and visualize the environment in places with higher vegetation.
The maned wolf's coat is reddish-orange in much of your body. The term guará originates from the Tupi indigenous language and means “red”, referring, therefore, to the predominant coat on the body of this species.
This animal also has a mane with black fur that extends from the top of the skull to the region of the first lumbar vertebrae. Black coloration is also seen on the muzzle and limbs. In the inner region of the neck, inner part of the ear and tip of the tail, the color is white.
Another striking feature of this animal is its small head, which resembles that of a Fox, and big ears.
Maned wolf habitat
According to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the maned wolf occurs mainly in the Cerrado and Pampa biomes. he is usually observed in more open areas, like fields.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the species is found in countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru, and is possibly extinct in Uruguay. It is worth noting that the most of the maned wolf population is observed in Brazil.
Read too: Jaguar – habitat, reproduction and curiosities
Maned wolf behavior
The maned wolf is an animal with a habit, mainly, twilight night. It's justloner and despite being called a Wolf, is not fierce, like the famous gray wolves. Maned wolves attack rarely and only when they feel threatened, generally preferring to stay away from humans. They mark their territory using feces and urine and are also capable of vocalize to communicate with partners and puppies, one of the functions of this vocalization being the location within the territory.
Maned wolf feeding
The maned wolf, unlike what many people imagine, is not an animal carnivore it is yes omnivorous, therefore feeding on animals and vegetables. Among the foods that are part of your diet, there are arthropods, small and medium-sized vertebrates, like rodents and some birds, and fruits, such as araticum and lobeira, also known as wolfberry and considered one of his favorite foods.
It is worth noting that the maned wolf is of great importance as a seed disperser. In the case of the lobeira, for example, it is observed that the passage of the seed through its digestive tract favors its germination.
Read more: Seed dispersers - capable of transporting them to areas far from the mother plant
Maned wolf reproduction
The maned wolf has solitary habits, however, in the reproductive season, couples are formed. Even after the birth of the puppies, the couple remains, with parental care being observed. In addition, the female remains in the den after the birth of the young, being fed by the male during this period. THE pregnancy lasts about 65 days, and an average of three to six puppies are born. Maned wolf cubs have a black fur at birth, and from the seventh month onwards, they are already colored in adulthood.
Maned wolf and extinction risk
The maned wolf, as well as several animals that make up our fauna, suffer from the action of man. Among the threats faced by this species, the habitat destruction, hunting and capture, road accidents and diseases acquired through contact with domestic species. The species is currently classified in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), as “almost threatened”.
By Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos
Biology teacher
