Despite being called a wolf, the maned wolf is not closely related to wolves or foxes - it is in its very own branch of the dog family, almost like an only child with no close cousins. Its long legs are not just for looks: they help it peer over the tall grasses of the Chaco and savannah to spot prey and watch for danger.
Maned wolves are mostly active at dusk and dawn - the golden hours when the grasslands glow orange. They eat a surprising mix of things: small animals like armadillos and rabbits, but also lots of fruit and vegetables. Their favourite food is a tomato-like fruit called the wolf apple (lobeira in Portuguese). This love of fruit makes them important seed dispersers - they eat the fruit and scatter seeds across large distances.
Maned wolves are shy and usually live alone rather than in packs, padding quietly through the grasses at night. Scientists study them using radio-tracking collars and footprint casts. In Paraguay, conservation groups are working to protect the open grasslands the maned wolf needs, because these habitats are gradually being turned into farmland.