Jonathan Wilkins · CC BY-SA 3.0Maned wolf
Chrysocyon brachyurus · aguara guasu
South America's largest canid: reddish coat, black mane and extra-long legs for seeing over the tall grass.
What it is
Although it looks like a giant fox on stilts, the maned wolf (aguara guasu in Guaraní) is the only species in its genus, and its scientific name means “golden dog.” It is solitary, crepuscular and omnivorous, eating rodents, birds and insects as well as plenty of fruit. It poses no danger to people. It lives in the grasslands, marshes and savannas of the Cerrado, the Humid Chaco and the south of the country.
Did you know…?
Its long legs don't make it run faster. They let it see over the tall grass, where it hunts by stealth.
Where
In grasslands and marshes at dawn or dusk: Tinfunqué and the Lower Chaco, Lake Ypoá, Ñeembucú and the Cerrado grasslands of Concepción and San Pedro.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 2 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.