WolfQuest

I've seen them before. They look like wolves crossed with red foxes. But actually, they aren't really wolves or foxes nor closely related to either. They are a different genus. Wolves are in the genus Canis,while foxes are in the genus Vulpes, and Maned Wolves are in the genus Chrysocyon. However, if you had to put which one they were actually more closely related to, it would actually be wolves,not foxes. The canid family is divided into 3 groups:basal, lupine,and vulpine. The lupine group or tribe Canini are canids that evolved from the ancestor of true wolves and includes all of the wolf-like canids such as red wolves, gray wolves, ethiopian wolves, eastern wolves, coyotes,black-backed jackals, side-striped jackals, golden jackals, domestic dogs, dingoes, new guinea singing dogs, and any other species or subspecies in the genus Canis plus maned wolves (genus Chrysocyon)african wild dogs((genus lycaon), dholes(genus Cuon), as well as some suprisingly non-wolf-like members such as the bush dog, small-eared dog, and all of the false "foxes" or zorros in South America including the Crab-eating fox, Culpeo, Darwin's fox, Chilla, Pampas fox, Sechuran fox, and Hoary Fox, none of which are actually foxes in spite of their common names and the fact that they have appearances simliar to foxes due to convergent evoluton. The vulpine group or tribe Vulpini includes all true foxes, which evolved from the ancestor of true foxes and includes arctic foxes (genus Alopex), genus Urocyon (including the Gray Fox and Island (Gray) Fox), and Vulpes(the genus of the rest of the true foxes such as red foxes, fennec foxes, kit foxes, swift foxes,Corsac foxes,etc.). Then,lastly, is the basal group which is the group that evolved before the ancestors of foxes and wolves split into two different species and which includes only two species, the raccoon dog or tanuki and the bat-eared "fox" ,another false "fox".

Interestingly, besides the currently exsisting lupine canids, there was another recently extinct lupine canid, the warrah, also sometimes called the Falkland Islands Wolf or Falkland Isands Fox. It looked simliar to the false "foxes" or zorros of mainland South America. However, recent DNA analayasis has revealed that it's closest living relative was actually the Maned Wolf, not the zorros. However, even the warrah was not that closely related to the Maned Wolf because its genus was Dusicyon.

Sources:
http://www.canids.org/species/Chrysocyon_brachyurus.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canidae
http://www.caninest.com/meet-the-canida ... true-dogs/
http://www.caninest.com/the-canidae-fam ... and-basal/

I have seen maned wokves before at a zoo and listened to a demonstration about them. They are beautiful and fascinating creatures, but it's a little annoying when they are confused with Wolves.

duskypack wrote:but it's a little annoying when they are confused with Wolves.

They should be called something like 'Maned Canids' or Maned Dogs, since there is an African Wild Dog.

duskypack wrote:They should be called something like 'Maned Canids' or Maned Dogs, since there is an African Wild Dog.

I disagree. It should be given a name derived from one of the languages of the people it lives alongside, just like the prairie wolf was later called "coyote" from an Aztec word.

Technically they are not wolves and not even related.

Although it is a member of the Canedae family, which contains dogs, wolves, and foxes, the maned wolf is the only species in the genus Chrysocyon. It is considered not to be a "true wolf".

So are they even allowed in this forum? I know other people have said this but I just had to say so myself.
Here's a link to know more about them: http://www.cosmosmith.com/maned_wolves.html

Autumnfire wrote:Technically they are not Canids nor in the canis family and not even related. So are they even allowed in this forum? I know other people have said this but I just had to say so myself.
Here's a link to know more about them: http://www.cosmosmith.com/maned_wolves.html

Sorry, yes I know. Wow. You posted your comment at the same second I edited mine.

Yes I know this also. I just didn't want to change what I said before too much.

I actually live really close to wild Maned wolfs. Not close enough to see them though.

Ah, the maned wolves. The canines that are said to be wolves yet they aren't.

I've heard that they also walk very differently compared to other canines. Their left rear leg and front leg move at the same time when walking, same goes for the right rear leg and front leg? At least that's what I've heard.
On YouTube I found a few videos of a maned wolf walking. I don't know why but I find that hard to watch, maybe because they walk really awkward...