The maned wolf has often been described as a 'fox on stilts' due to its red fur and long legs. Maned wolves do not hunt in packs like other wolves do. Archive Content Please note: This page has been archived and its content may no longer be up-to-date. Toggle navigation. Language English.
Key Facts. Common name Common Name. Latin name Scientific Name Chrysocyon brachyurus. Physical Description The maned wolf derives its name from the characteristic mane on its neck which stands erect when it scents danger. Its body is covered with long, reddish-brown hair.
The mouth, the back and the tail of the animal is black. Maned Wolves do not form packs like other wolves. Maned Wolves live in monogamous pairs having one partner for life and only interact during the breeding season. April marks the beginning of the breeding season. In August and early September mothers give birth to 2 — 5 maned wolf pups. In captivity, males help raise pups by regurgitating food. Captive Maned wolves live between 12 — 15 years. Little information is known about family habits of wild Maned wolves.
Whereas other large canids hunt cooperatively to capture ungulate prey, Maned wolves specialize in small prey. At night Maned Wolves search for rodents, hares and birds. Fruits are a large fraction of their diet. Captive maned wolves were traditionally fed meat-heavy diets and developed kidney stones.
The total population is believed to be below 5, outside of Brazil. Habitat analysis suggests that as many as 20, may remain in Brazil. Habitat destruction for agriculture and highways is the main threat to maned wolves. The cerrado has been reduced to 20 percent of its original size. General disregard for speed limits leads to significant traffic fatalities. Sometimes maned wolves are killed for their body parts, which are believed to have magical properties. Domestic dogs pose threats through direct persecution and disease transmission.
The Zoo has been working to protect maned wolves for nearly 30 years and coordinates the Maned Wolf Species Survival Plan, which includes breeding maned wolves, studying them in the wild, protecting their habitat, and in situ education programs. Maned wolves in human care are susceptible to all of the common viruses of the domestic dog. Current Smithsonian research is focusing on the threats of domestic dog diseases to the wild populations.
The typical wild wolf has only one functioning kidney, the right kidney having been destroyed by the effects of the giant kidney worm. Many maned wolves in human care suffer from cystinuria, a metabolic disorder in which the amino acid cystine is not reabsorbed by the renal system. Cystine has the potential to precipitate out and form "sand" or calculi in the kidney and or bladder and cause blockages or ruptures.
The major push behind diet research for maned wolves is the attempt to find a diet that will raise their urinary pH, thus preventing the formation of stones and excreting the excess cystine. Skip to main content. Entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. All visitors ages 2 and older are required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces at the Zoo, regardless of their vaccination status. Fully vaccinated visitors do not need to wear a mask in outdoor areas.
Cheetah Conservation Station. Maned wolf. Animals Animals A-Z Maned wolf. Share this page:. Fact sheet Conservation Meet the Animals Physical Description Having evolved to live in high grass savannas, maned wolves have a thick red coat, long black legs and tall, erect ears.
Size The maned wolf stands about 3 feet 90 centimeters tall at the shoulder and weighs about 50 pounds 23 kilograms. Communication Maned wolves mark their territory with powerful-smelling urine and feces on hillocks and termite mounds along their borders.
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