![]() ![]() The conversion of land to agriculture has drastically reduced the available habitat for the maned wolf, with the cerrado of Brazil being reduced to about 20 percent of its original extent (8). ![]() The most significant threat to the survival of remaining maned wolf populations is habitat loss (8). Future studies need to focus on population surveys throughout the species' range, as well as research into how human encroachment and habitat loss is impacting this distinctive canid (1). Research has therefore been conducted into behaviour affecting hormones, nutrition and stress in captivity, as well as the use of modern reproductive technologies to aid the process (10). However, for unknown reasons, canids breed poorly in captivity. As of 2003, 146 institutions reported a total of 431 maned wolves in captivity, including 208 males and 222 females (8). This has, however, led these wolves into areas of greater proximity and conflict with humans, and education programmes have therefore been started to dissuade farmers from shooting this rare species (2). Encouragingly, observations indicate that the maned wolf is able to colonize different habitats and that the species' range has altered in configuration in recent years rather than diminished (12). At present, there are no known conservation actions specific to the maned wolf, but there are broader attempts to protect parts of its habitat and reduce the impact of animal road kills in Brazil (1). Although protected by law in certain countries, with hunting prohibited in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, law enforcement is often problematic. The maned wolf occurs in a number of protected areas across its range. Captive individuals have lived up to 16 years (8). ![]() Pups reach sexual maturity and disperse from their natal home range at around one year old, but do not usually reproduce until the second year (8). However, in captivity males have been observed grooming and defending pups, as well as feeding them by regurgitation. Originally, it was believed that the female alone cared for the young, suckling them for up to 15 weeks (3). The female gives birth to a litter of one to five pups each year (average of three) between June and September (6) (8). Although the basic social unit is the male-female mated pair, which share a home range typically between 25 to 50 square kilometres (11), these individuals remain fairly independent of one another and only closely associate during the breeding season from April to June (5) (6) (8). Unlike other wolves that live in cooperative breeding packs, the maned wolf is primarily solitary (10). Scavenging on road-kill also occurs and free-ranging chickens are frequently stolen from farms (8). The maned wolf's main source of food is the tomato-like lobeira fruit, which grows throughout its range and is thought to provide medicinal aid against the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyme renate (1) (5). The diet consists of a wide variety of fruits and small mammals, such as armadillos and rabbits, but also includes occasional pampas deer ( Ozotoceros bezoarticus), birds, reptiles, insects, fish and arthropods (1). The maned wolf hunts primarily at night, and during dusk and dawn hours, while the days are often spent resting, often in areas of thick bush cover (5). Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate) sexualĪverage age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) Wild maned wolves are rarely seen with their pups. Non-captive maned wolves give birth in natal nests hidden by thick vegetation. Their eyes and ears open by day nine, their ears stand upright and they will take regurgitated food by week four, the pelage changes from black to red by week ten, they are weaned by 15 weeks, and their bodies have the proportions of adults at one year, at which time they reach sexual maturity. Young are born weighing 340 to 430 grams and develop quickly. A record number of seven has been observed. A litter usually contains one to five young. Gestation in captivity is similar to that of other canids and lasts approximately 65 days. The estrous lasts for a period of one to four days. Breeding season is probably controlled by photoperiod captives copulate between October and February in the Northern Hemisphere and between August and October in South America. Little is known about the reproductive patterns of wild maned wolves. Maned wolves are monogamous, though males and females tend to live independently except during the breeding season. ![]()
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