![]() This canid, which may be the only one of its kind, looks less like a fox on stilts and more like a leggy lycanthrope, the unusual nature of its anatomy highlighted by the shift in color. You can have a look at the dark wolf in the official field report. No one had seen a black maned wolf before, even in captivity. But five of the photos showed a black maned wolf, presumably all the same individual. While reviewing photos from a zoological survey of Veredas do Acari Sustainable Reserve in Brazil, the zoologists counted 25 images of maned wolves in their expected attire. But now zoologist Guilherme Ferreira and colleagues have reported the first black-phase maned wolf ever recorded. ![]() This was thought to be the standard coloration for the species over its South American range. The maned wolf independently evolved a reddish pelt that descends to black along the legs and a tuft of white on the tail. Still, it’s hard to look at a maned wolf and not come away with the fox on stilts impression. Chrysocyon brachyurus, as it's known to zoologists, is truly a unique beast. Their closest relatives on the canid family tree are the bush dogs, but, given that bush dogs are in a totally different genus, there’s not much resemblance between the two. Their long legs give them a charming strut and they’ve often called “foxes on stilts.” The truth of the matter is that they’re not particularly close to foxes, wolves, or any other dog. Maned wolves are favorites of zoos and documentaries alike. Consider a black maned wolf seen in Brazil. But whether we take the average or exceptional as normal, we’re missing the variability that allows life to thrive. I can say “tiger” and you know exactly what I mean. Our species has a penchant for reductionism, boiling down concepts and creatures alike to their essence so that we can quickly and efficiently exchange ideas. That's because what we expect doesn't always match reality. I’m fascinated by the typology of nature, the form of wilderness that we carry around in our heads.
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