Maned Wolf: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Wolves and Foxes · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. Maned wolf scent marks smell like cannabis, earning it the nickname "skunk wolf". At Rotterdam Zoo, the smell once sent police looking for smokers.
2. It mostly talks by leaving scent marks, but it can also let out a loud call known as a roar-bark.
3. To hunt, a maned wolf chases, digs and even leaps to snatch flying birds. About 21% of its hunts succeed.
4. Maned wolf pups are born with black fur, two to six per litter, and each weighs about 450 g.
5. Maned wolves love the tomato-like wolf apple. They eat several fruits at a time and later spread whole seeds in their droppings.

The quiz

1. What smell do maned wolf territory marks have?

• Rotten fruit
• Cannabis-like (correct)
• Fresh pine
• Wet fur

Its territory marks have a distinctive cannabis-like odor, earning it the nickname "skunk wolf".

2. What is the maned wolf's loud call known as?

• Roar-barking (correct)
• Wail-howling
• Yip-singing
• Growl-purring

Besides scent marks, it uses a loud call known as roar-barking.

3. What percentage of maned wolf hunts succeed?

• About 90%
• About 2%
• About 21% (correct)
• About 50%

About 21% of its hunts are successful.

4. What colour is a maned wolf pup's fur?

• Black (correct)
• Bright orange
• White
• Spotted brown

Pups are born with black fur.

5. How does the maned wolf help the wolf apple spread?

• It buries the fruits
• It carries seeds in its fur
• It drops fruit from trees
• Whole seeds pass through its droppings (correct)

It eats several fruits and later deposits whole, intact seeds in its droppings.

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