The animal that most closely resembles a tall fox is the maned wolf. The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is a unique and distinctive looking canid found in South America. With its long legs, reddish-brown fur and fox-like appearance, the maned wolf has often been described as looking like a tall, fox on stilts.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the maned wolf’s relationship to foxes, examine why it has evolved such an unusual appearance, go over some of its key physical and behavioral characteristics, and discuss its current conservation status. By the end, you’ll have a good understanding of why the maned wolf stands out as one of the most peculiar and fascinating canids on the planet.
The Maned Wolf’s Relation to Foxes
Despite often being called a fox, the maned wolf is not actually a fox or even a close relative. Instead, it belongs to the genus Chrysocyon, meaning “golden dog.” The maned wolf is the sole species in this genus and is the only surviving member of the now extinct subfamily Chrysocyoninae.
Its closest living relatives are other South American canids, including bush dogs, short-eared dogs and crab-eating foxes. Although not closely related, foxes and the maned wolf have evolved similar adaptations for hunting and surviving on their own rather than in packs. This example of convergent evolution helps explain their superficial resemblance.
The Maned Wolf’s Unusual Appearance
The maned wolf possesses several distinctive physical features that contribute to its unique foxy appearance. Some key attributes include:
- Long legs – Their long legs are one of the maned wolf’s most characteristic traits. Their legs are significantly longer than those of other canids relative to their body size.
- Reddish fur – Their fur is reddish-brown in color. The darker manes along their neck and back contrast with the black legs.
- Large ears – They have very large ears that can stand over 7 inches tall. The ears help locate prey in the grasslands.
- Bushy tail – Their tail is long and bushy like a fox’s. However, the tail is black with a white tip.
- Narrow muzzle – Their muzzle is elongated and narrow like a fox’s snout. This shape helps catch prey.
In terms of size, the maned wolf ranges from 51 to 63 inches long from head to hindquarters. They stand around 32 to 40 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh between 44 to 66 pounds. This makes them the largest canid in South America. Their long legs combined with the musky red pelt and fox-like features give them a very unique and memorable appearance.
Key Characteristics and Behavior
In addition to its singular physical traits, the maned wolf also behaves differently than other canids in some aspects:
- Solitary – Maned wolves are usually solitary animals and hunt alone rather than in packs like wolves. This is more similar to the fox’s lifestyle.
- Omnivorous – They have an omnivorous diet consisting of small mammals, birds, insects, fruit and vegetation. The mixture of meat and plants sets them apart from purely carnivorous canids.
- Communication – Maned wolves communicate using distinctive roars and also mark territory with their strong musk.
- Nocturnal/crepuscular – They are most active at night or during dusk and dawn. The darkness provides cover for hunting.
- Cautious – Maned wolves are very shy and cautious canids. Their ears help alert them to any threats.
The maned wolf’s sporadic social habits, unique vocalizations and mix of meat and plant food sources in the diet offer further insights into its atypical behavior compared to other canid species.
Habitat and Range
Maned wolves have a very limited geographical range in South America east of the Andes. They live exclusively in the grassland and scrub forest regions of central Brazil, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina and Bolivia.
Some key habitat features preferred by the maned wolf include:
- Savannas – Open grasslands and savanna landscapes with mixed scrub vegetation.
- Marshlands – Wetland areas, marshes and swamplands.
- Termite mounds – Maned wolves are often found around termite mounds in savannas.
- Sparse trees – Light woodland areas interspersed with grasslands.
This habitat provides good hunting grounds with small prey like rodents, birds and snakes concealed in the grass. It also contains food sources such as fruit, tubers and termites. The scattered trees and scrub vegetation offer protection and seclusion as well.
Unfortunately, agricultural development and habitat loss have led to fragmentation and reduction of their native grassland ranges. This habitat degradation poses one of the largest threats to maned wolf populations today.
Diet and Hunting
As omnivores, maned wolves have a widely varied diet. Some key food sources include:
- Small mammals – Rabbits, rats, mice, armadillos and similar small prey make up around 50% of their diet.
- Insects – They eat ants, termites and other insects which provide an important protein source.
- Fruits – Berries, fruits and plants account for over a third of their intake.
- Birds – Birds, eggs and other small vertebrates are opportunistically hunted.
- Carrion – They may scavenge on animal carcasses when available.
Maned wolves are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular hunters. Their long legs allow them to see over the tops of the tall grasslands when hunting. Their elongated ears also help pinpoint prey scurrying through the scrub brush. Although competent hunters, over half of their sustenance comes from fruits and vegetation.
Reproduction and Offspring
Maned wolves are monogamous and mate for life. The breeding pair patrols a shared territory but typically hunts alone. Mating usually occurs between April to June. After a 62 to 65 day gestation, the female gives birth to a litter averaging 2 to 6 pups.
Some key facts about maned wolf offspring and maturation include:
- Weaning – Pups are weaned by around 4 weeks old.
- Male care – The male brings food to the den for the mother and pups.
- Maturity – Sexual maturity is reached by 2 years old.
- Life span – Average lifespan in the wild is 12 to 15 years.
The pups initially rely on milk from the mother. After weaning, the parents coordinate to provide them with regurgitated food until they can hunt on their own. By 9 to 12 months, the pups leave their parents’ territory to find their own home range.
Current Conservation Status
Although maned wolves are protected across their native range, loss of habitat and declining populations still put them at risk. Here’s an overview of their current conservation status:
- Classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
- Population declining overall and estimated at 17,000 mature adults.
- Illegal hunting, road accidents, and farming activity threats.
- Protected as Vulnerable under CITES Appendix II.
- Habitat loss of grasslands to agriculture and grazing activity an ongoing concern.
While not yet endangered, the decline of suitable habitat and small isolated populations make maned wolves vulnerable. Conservation efforts focused on preserving grasslands and connecting fragmented populations will be important for their long term survival.
Why It Resembles a Tall Fox
To summarize, the maned wolf stands out for its particularly fox-like traits due to the following physical and behavioral characteristics:
- Long, slender legs like a fox.
- Reddish coat color as in foxes.
- A long, narrow muzzle resembling a fox snout.
- Large erect ears similar to a fox.
- A bushy, black-tipped tail like a fox.
- Solitary hunting lifestyle typical of fox behavior.
- Omnivorous diet of meat and plants as seen in foxes.
In addition to the above physical and behavioral similarities with foxes, the maned wolf fills an ecological niche in South America comparable to the fox’s ecological role in North America. As such, even though they are not taxonomically related, the two canids have an uncanny resemblance to one another.
Conclusion
In summary, the maned wolf’s long legs, reddish fur and general fox-like appearance make it the animal that looks most like a tall fox. Despite similarities, maned wolves are a distinct South American canid, and not actually close relatives of foxes. Their elongated physique and adaptations for hunting rodents on grasslands give maned wolves their unique foxy characteristics.
While not considered endangered, habitat loss and declining populations put them at risk. Their unusual solitary habits, omnivorous diet, and mixture of traits make the maned wolf a special and iconic species of the South American grasslands.
