#882. Zorro

The Zorro are six species of South American canids, sometimes known as the South American foxes, although they are a different Genus from the "true" foxes. This fellow is Darwin's Zorro. His range is very restricted; he is found only on Chiloé Island and in an isolated patch of Chile. There are considered to be less than 400 individuals in the wild. He lives in dense forest, hunting small vertebrates and eating fruit, and occasionally carrion.

Only one day to go and I've finished the Z's!

#837: Wolf

The Wolf is a large canine, historically spread across the Northern Hemisphere, although now some subspecies are Extinct or Critically Endangered. She is a pack animal, living in family groups led by a male and a female, and consisting of her growing offspring.  Pups remain with their parent pack for up to 4 years, before dispersing to form their own. Wolves hunt cooperatively, and share their kills, with the adult pair dining first. The Wolf has been shown to morphologically share a common ancestor with the domestic dog, and the two readily interbreed.

#818: Warrah

The Warrah, or Falklands Island Fox,  is something of an enigma to science. She was the only land mammal endemic to the Falkland Islands. DNA analysis of the few remaining museum specimens have shown her closest relative to be the maned wolf of South America. Recent theories suggest that her ancestors may have made her way to the isolated islands via an ice bridge.  After that, she adapted to survive on the rugged terrain, feeding on nesting sea birds and penguins. She showed little fear of people, and hunters would lure herwith fresh meat, felling her with a club or knife. With no forests or other such retreats on the islands, the numbers fell into rapid decline. By 1880, her species was extinct.

#743: Tanuki

Tanuki is the name given to the subspecies of Racoon Dog found in Japan. He is well known in mythology as mischevious, jolly and a bit of a trickster. The Asian Racoon Dog is a member of the Canine Family, and one of two Canid species that regularly climb trees. His diet is omnivorous and varies with the seasons - fruit, grains, vegetables and eggs in summer, rodents and other small prey in the colder months. Despite having an extremely thick fur coat, he hibernates in winter. This thick pelt has found favour in the fur industry. This has led to the species being introduced into Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, either intentionally or as escapees from fur farms. Whilst in his natural range numbers are declining, in this introduced range, he is at risk of becoming an Invasive Pest.

#649: Red Wolf

Another animal that starts with an adjective. Oh well! This is the last "red" animal, I promise! (although warning, there will be a number of "yellow" ones later).

The Red Wolf is found only in the southeastern United States and considered an immediate between the Wolf and the Coyote. Her taxonomic status is not truly known, although she is currently considered a distinct species. Unfortunately, an extensive extermination project combined with coyote-crossbreeding reduced the population to very small numbers. Captive breeding has seen her reintroduced to some of her formal habitat, although she is critically endangered. In behaviour, she is more social than a coyote, but less so than a wolf. Partnerships are monogamous, and the two raise up to seven pups.

Creature Feature #563: Painted Wolf

The Painted Wolf, or African Wild Dog, is technically neither wolf, nor dog - although she is a member of the Canine Family. She is a social creature, living in packs with a strict hierarchy. Only the dominant female breeds, and she birthes an average of 10 pups a year. The rest of the pack help her to raise them and if any lower ranked females dare to breed, she will kill or steal their pups. Hunting is a co-operative affair, with several adults pursuing the prey, which they run into exhaustion. Once the prey - typically a medium-sized antelope - can no longer run, the pack move in for the kill. Due to their small size and relatively slender build, they are unable to kill the animal outright, and must instead latch onto any part they can reach, in an attempt to drag the animal down.

Painted Wolves are endangered, due to hunting (they are often blamed for killing livestock), loss of habitat, and diseases contracted from domestic dogs.

Creature Feature #447: Maned Wolf

The Maned Wolf is neither fox nor wolf. Her long legs enable her to see as she stalks the grasslands of South America. She is not social like other canids, sharing her territory only with her mate and even then meeting him rarely. The two use scent to communicate, marking hunting areas or cached food with urine. It has a distinct odour, not unlike hops or cannibas.  Her diet consists of small vertebrates and vegetable matter contributes a large proportion. She plays a role in seed dispersal and propogation.

She is classified as "near threatened" due to hunting, habitat loss and disease.