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. As this animal does not kill or eat large prey, its upper carnassials (shearing teeth) are reduced, its upper incisors weak, and its canines are long and slender. The dentition of the maned wolf reflects its food habits. The body is narrow and the ears large and erect. The anterior part of the erectile mane of long hairs is black as well. The long thin legs, which may serve to help the maned wolf to see above tall grass, grade from red to black at their lower portions. Head and body length ranges from 1245 to 1320mm and tail length from 280 to 405mm. The largest of all South American canids, it stands almost one meter tall at the shoulder and has a long, golden-red coat. Its former range included parts of Uruguay and Argentina.Ĭhrysocyon brachyurus is found in grassland, savanna, dry shrub forest, swampy areas, forest-edge habitat, and river areas.Ĭhrysocyon brachyurus is a stunning animal. The maned wolf is distributed from the mouth of the Parnaiba River in northeastern Brazil west to the Pampas del Heath in Peru and South through the Chaco of Paraguay to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

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