Maned wolf
| Maned wolf | ||||||||||||
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A maned wolf |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Chrysocyon | ||||||||||||
| CH Smith , 1839 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Chrysocyon brachyurus | ||||||||||||
| ( Illiger , 1815) |
The maned wolf ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) is the largest wild dog in South America . He is long-legged and slim like the big wild dogs of Eurasia ( wolf , red dog ) and Africa ( African wild dog ). Unlike these, the maned wolf is not a hunter .
features
The size characteristics of the maned wolf vary among other things due to local influences. On average, the head body length is 105 cm, to which, with a shoulder height of sometimes more than one meter, an average of 44 cm tail must be added. Head body lengths of up to 130 cm are possible. The weight of a maned wolf is between 20 and 35 kg, depending on the source. The coloring of the animal is to be described with a reddish brown, whereby the back part usually appears lighter. In addition to the snout and the lower legs, the “mane” of the maned wolf, which is characteristic of the German name, is black. The latter is on average 47 cm long and therefore almost half as long as the animal (excluding the tail) itself. The tip of the tail as well as the inner ears and the throat of the Maned Wolf are colored white. The former shows a strong variation, so that the white coloring covers 17 to 66% of the tail. With the exception of the ears, there is no significant gender dimorphism.
Distribution area and habitat
The maned wolf is originally widespread in the savannah landscapes of central South America from north-east Brazil via southern Brazil ( Rio Grande do Sul ), the Gran Chacco Paraguay to Uruguay and Argentina at 30 ° south latitude. In the west the area extends over Bolivia to the Peruvian border. As a habitat, the maned wolf prefers high grass areas, bushland ( cerrado ) and park-like landscapes as well as moist, sometimes seasonally flooded grass areas. During the day, the animals usually rest in gallery forests and on marshy rivers. Sometimes they apparently also hunt in cultivated land.
Way of life
Maned wolves differ considerably in their way of life from other large wild dogs. They don't form packs. Males and females inhabit one territory together, but they usually go their own way and hunt separately. The partnership is only closer after one birth, and the male helps with the rearing and care of the three puppies on average. The mating season peaks between April and June, which is why most young are born after a gestation period of around 65 days in late winter and early spring (the southern hemisphere). All of the whelping sites examined in the wild were hidden on elevated areas in the middle of swampy high grass areas. Depending on the area, the area is around 25 to 60 square kilometers. It is preferable to mark conspicuous areas such as termite mounds by urinating. Animals without a territory live in the border areas between the territories and do not mark. The typical sound is a bark that can be heard at any time of the day or year. Maned wolves are active at night or at dawn. Their teeth have receded so far that they cannot hunt and dissect large animals. Despite their size, maned wolves specialize in small prey such as rabbits , rodents , birds, and insects . In the Cerrado region in particular, the seven-banded armadillo is one of the most important prey animals. Vegetable foods such as the fruits of Solanum lycocarpum ("wolf apple") also play an important role; these make up a relatively large proportion of the diet. Various techniques are used in hunting. Small rodents are sneaked up and with a final sentence captured or dug up. Flying birds and insects are sometimes captured by jumping from the ground. Only occasionally are somewhat larger prey animals, e.g. B. Pampas deer, overwhelmed.
Danger
The maned wolf is classified by the IUCN as "potentially endangered" ( near threatened ). A total of around 13,000 adult animals is assumed, with the animals appearing to be found in very low population densities in most areas. The threats are the destruction of habitats, traffic accidents and attacks by domestic dogs. It is unclear to what extent the populations are decimated by diseases. Hunting is prohibited in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. Maned wolves are not a serious threat to most human farm animals. Occasionally, however, they are shot as poultry thieves. Maned wolves are also found in protected areas such as the Emas National Park in Brazil.
Taxonomy
The maned wolf is only distantly related to the actual wolf . A relationship with South American foxes such as the Andean jackal was long suspected. According to new studies, the maned wolf is not particularly closely related to any living wild dog. Accordingly, it represents a third line of South American dogs in addition to the forest dog and the South American fighting foxes. The three lines evidently diverged in North America before their immigration over the Central American Land Bridge 6 to 7 million years ago. Among the dogs, he is the greatest survivor of the South American large animal fauna of the Pleistocene .
There are no subspecies of the maned wolf.
swell
- ↑ a b Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs - 2004 Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan, Part 2, Chapter 3, p. 18
- ↑ a b Archived copy ( memento of the original dated November 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs - 2004 Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan, Part 2, Chapter 3, p. 18
- ↑ a b c d e f Sillero-Zubiri, C. (2009). Family Canidae (Dogs). (352-447). In: Wilson, DE, Mittermeier, RA, (Eds.). Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, 2009. ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1
- ↑ Flávio HG Rodrigues, Adriani Hass, Ana CR Lacerda, Raquel LSC Grando, Marcelo A. Bagno †, Alexandra MR Bezerra and Wesley R. Silva: Feeding Habits of the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in the Brazilian Cerrado. Mastozoologia Neotropical 14 (1), 2007, pp. 37-51
- ↑ Chrysocyon brachyurus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Listed by: Rodden et al., 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
Web links
- Conservation of the Maned Wolf: fruitful relationships in a changing environment
- Chrysocyon brachyurus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Posted by: Rodden, Rodrigues & Bestelmeyer, 2008. Accessed August 10, 2015.