The Maned Wolf

This mammal is found in open and semiopen habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west, and southeastern Brazil, northern Argentina, Bolivia east and north of the Andes, and far southeastern Peru. It is very rare in Uruguay, possibly being displaced completely through loss of habitat. Unlike other large canids ((such as the gray wolf, the African hunting dog, or the dhole)), the maned wolf does not form packs. It hunts alone, usually between sundown and midnight. Maned wolves rotate their large ears to listen for prey animals in the grass. They tap the ground with a front foot to flush out the prey and pounce to catch it. They kill prey by biting on the neck or back, and shaking the prey violently if necessary. Monogamous pairs may defend a shared territory around 30 km2, although outside of mating, the individuals may meet only rarely. The territory is crisscrossed by paths that they create as they patrol at night. Several adults may congregate in the presence of a plentiful food source, for example, a fire-cleared patch of grassland that would leave small vertebrate prey exposed while foraging. Generally, the maned wolf is shy and flees when alarmed, so it poses little direct threat to humans. Popularly, the maned wolf is thought to have the potential of being a chicken thief.