The frugivorous diet of the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus , in Brazil: ecology and conservation.

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents a broad study of frugivory and seed dispersal by the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the largest canid (20-26 kg) in South America. The wolf's diet were analysed in 8 localities (all in the cerrado region of south-eastern Brazil) to document its degree of frugivory. Results showed that all populations of maned wolves were highly omnivorous. With exception of Allagoptera campestris, whose seeds were heavily destroyed (87.5% of 522 seeds in faeces), all fruit species consumed by wolves had most seeds unharmed after passing through the wolf's gut (91.7-100% of seeds intact). Although the maned wolf seems to have a short passage time of food through the gut (∼20-30 minutes), this is counterbalanced by its highly cursorial habits. By recording the location of tracks and faeces and by radiotelemetry data, it was recorded that the maned wolf prefers open cerrado. Therefore, only plant species that establish in open cerrado are likely to be effectively dispersed by wolves.