Extension of occurrence area of the maned wolf, chrysocyon brachyurus (Carnivora, canidae) in the Amazon biome

Abstract

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus; Carnivora, Canidae) is the South America’s largest canid, typically occurring in open areas of Cerrado, Chaco and Pampa. Its geographical distribution is historically limited to the north by the Amazon forest, and to the northeast by the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest biomes. However, recent studies have reported that its occurrence has recently been expanded to the boundaries of its distribution range. In this study, we presented 22 records of the maned wolf for the Amazon biome, including six records from gray literature, six records of scientific articles from indexed journals and 10 new records, expanding the northwest limit of its geographical range in 51,178.78 km². The presence of the maned wolf in protected and unprotected areas of the Amazon biome, as reported in this study, can play a complementary role in the conservation of species, since its historically boundaries are becoming increasingly permeable.