Maned Wolves Are Not Really Wolves

by OBDK on March 15, 2023

Have you seen a Maned Wolf before? 
 
These wolves are very tall, and they have red fur with a black mane.1 They live in South America, in countries such as Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and Paraguay.2 They live in what’s called the Cerrado – it’s a biome that has a variety of habitats like grasslands, savannas, and forests.1
 
And here’s something interesting…
 
They may be called Maned Wolves, but they aren’t actually related to wolves! They are a singular member of their own genus called Chrysocyon.1
 
Because they’re tall, they’re able to easily look over grasses in their habitats. They will ambush their prey when they’re hunting. They’ll go after birds, rodents, plants, and fruit.3 One of their favorites is called Lobeira – which are berries that look like tomatoes.1 
 
When it’s time to mate, they will only pair up with one partner.1&3 Females will give birth to offspring after about two months. Usually, they have 2–5 offspring.3
 
These animals face threats from humans and domesticated dogs – humans have encroached on and destroyed their native habitats and dogs can pass diseases to them or attack them.2 Overall, they’re considered to be Near Threatened by the IUCN.3
 
Dive deeper into your next owl pellet lab – try out our new 2 Region, 2 Pellet Pack!

This has one pellet from the southwest and another from the northwest. Dissect them both and see what differences you find between the two! 
 
This is a perfect activity for when you want to uplevel your lesson and invite your students to think critically about the similarities or differences they may find between two separate habitats! 
 
Sources: 
  1. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/maned-wolf
  2. https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/wildlife_practice/profiles/mammals/wolf_maned/
  3. https://www.lazoo.org/explore-your-zoo/our-animals/mammals/wolf-maned/


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