Canine Spotlight: Maned Wolf

Legs! Really beautiful, long legs! That's the theme of this little beauty of a canine. When we think dogs, foxes, and wolves, we don't think long legs, but the maned wolf is a very pretty exception. Let's get to know them.

The maned wolf is 39 inches from head to tail and stands at 35 inches tall. It's tail is usually abut 18 inches long. Another thing that is quite large about this animal is its ears. They have big and long ears that are usually as large as 7 inches. I personally love big ears on animals. Many people mistake the maned wolf for a fox with long legs because of their coat. They do have similar markings to the common red fox. You may find it interesting that the maned wolf is neither a fox nor a wolf. It is barely even canine; however, it still upholds the canine classification.

Maned wolves are mainly found in southeastern Brazil. They live mainly in tall grasslands and hunt for small- to medium-sized prey there. Their long legs are perfect for this sort of environment. They are not just there to look pretty. Additionally, you may find it interesting that the maned wolf is the tallest of all wild dogs.

This canine does not only eat prey. It is omnivorous which means it also consumes plant life; however, when it does go after prey, it will do so alone and with as much violence as necessary. Generally, they will go straight for the neck and shake the prey viciously until it is quite exhausted or otherwise dead. Since maned wolves do not form into packs, they have no need to share.

Maned wolves of both sexes communicate by urinating. They look for mates from November to April and usually give birth to 2 to 6 black-furred pups after 65 days. It takes them a full year to get their long legs and red coat, and during this time, they entirely rely on their parents for food.

Although maned wolves were once thought to be like foxes and steal chickens from farmers, the truth is that they really don't want to have anything to do with us. They run away from sighted humans. The reason for this is likely because their species has been hunted for superstitious reasons for a very long time. It was mainly for their eyes which were believed to be good luck charms.

Easily the one thing that sets these dogs apart are their beautiful, long legs. They are like the elves of the canine world. In fiction, I see them as being very dainty and graceful creatures who consider themselves above their lower canine cousins. I do this a lot. I usually assign graceful aspects to an ego. I did something similar to the jerboas a while back. I don't think that the maned wolves are all that bad, however. They are more shy than openly aggressive. Think of them as the fairies of the grasslands.

The maned wolf is a marvel to look at. Their extra long legs give them a surreal appearance. It is almost as if they are from another world entirely. I enjoy seeing creatures like this most of all.

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