![]() ![]() Maned wolves seem to love these, and they regularly seek them out. Astoundingly, this tomato-like fruit can make up 40% to 90% of the maned wolf's diet. The most common food item for the maned wolf is a fruit called the wolf apple. In fact, studies show that they eat at least 116 different plant species. They feed on sugarcane, fruits, and other plants. The really surprising thing is that the maned wolf's diet is 50% plants! This is highly unusual for a canine species. They typically eat rodents, rabbits, insects, birds, and sometimes even fish. If they hear something, they tap the ground with a front foot to flush the prey creature out, then they pounce on it. They will stand still and rotate their ears, listening for small creatures moving around in the tall grass. This helps them with their unusual hunting techniques. You may have noticed from the photos that maned wolves have exceptionally large ears. They get their name from the noticeable mane of hair on their neck, which stands up straight when they sense danger. Unlike many other canines, these creatures are omnivorous, meaning they eat substantial amounts of both plants and animals. Maned wolves live in South America, primarily in south and central Brazil and into Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia. So, it is not a fox, wolf, coyote, dog, or jackal. Instead, it is a canine species that is in its own genus ( Chrysocyon, which means "golden dog") and is not closely related to other living canines. The maned wolf is not a wolf, and even though it resembles a fox on stilts, it is not a fox either. ![]() This name is kind of unfortunate because the word "wolf" has negative connotations for many people. Being this strange, it's surprising that few people have even heard of this animal (I just learned about it a few days ago). It's a dog-like mammal that appears to have the body of a wolf, the face of a fox, the legs of a deer, and it has urine that smells like marijuana. This is one of those animals I chose simply because it looks so strange. ![]()
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