The maned wolf in the ecotone between forest and grasslands at the limits of its distribution in a subtropical environment

Abstract

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is a neotropical canid that is considered near threatened by the IUCN, vulnerable in Brazil and critically endangered in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Araucaria High Plains have coverage of Atlantic forest mixed in with open areas and small wetland areas and are at one of the limits of the range of the maned wolf. The objectives of this article are to demonstrate that, although rare, the maned wolf does still occur in the Araucaria High Plains and to discuss the relevance of conservation efforts in areas in which the occurrence of threatened species is borderline. Data collection took place between March of 1999 and December of 2010 with a total sampling effort of 11,431 trap-days. After 10 years in which there were no corroborated records, the species was caught by camera traps in the São Francisco de Paula National Forest in November of 2009. This is a protected area with forest vegetation and is not considered the species' typical habitat. The open areas in this region are being taken over by agriculture and silviculture of exotic species.