Development of World Car: Ecological Day

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MANED WOLF - LOBO-GUARÁ

Atualização para participar do Ecological Day, hospedado pelo blog Caliandra do Cerrado.

Clique no link para ver outros participantes.

O meu incrível encontro com o Lobo-guará!

Estas 4 primeiras fotos foram tiradas pelo meu marido, quando íamos à cidade próxima, num domingo pela manhã, para buscar os jornais. De longe pensei que esse animal que andava pelo acostamento na Rodovia Raposo Tavares (próximo à Paranapanema, ESP) fosse um bezerro desgarrado, mas chegando mais perto, vimos que era um Lobo-guará!!! Ele parecia cansado e perdido naquela estrada.... Fiquei maravilhada e ao mesmo tempo triste e penalizada ao ver um animal tão bonito, que corre alto risco de extinção, assim perdido, correndo um risco enorme de morrer atropelado...

Você pode também conhecer um pouco mais do Lobo-guará, o maior mamífero canídeo da Amárica do Sul, acessando o blog Caliandra do Cerrado, onde a Elma Carneiro publicou na semana passada, coincidentemente, um excelente post sobre a fruta da Lobeira e o Lobo-Guará.

Veja este incrível vídeo sobre o Lobo-Guará!

Enjoy this amazing video about Maned Wolf!

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These photos were taken by my husband, last Sunday, at 11:00 am, when we was going to a village near our house for pick up the newspaper. Suddenly I saw a creature that I thought at first sight it was a calf. But only when we come closer my husband said: –“Não é um bezerro, é um LOBO-GUARÁ!” (in Portuguese). "It's not a calf, it's a MANED WOLF!” I was amazed, enchanted to see for the first time free at nature and also so closer, this amazing species Near Threatened. He looked tired and scared. Many trucks and cars were running very fast and I was afraid and concerned for your security and life! Carlos got out of the car quickly and he only got the chance to shoot few photos. The quality of those photos were not so good as they should have been....but he did the best he can do! And I am so glad he did!

You can enlarge those photos to see the Maned Wolf closer

The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest Canid of South America. It is called Lobo-Guará ("Guará Wolf") in Portuguese. The common name, ‘maned wolf', is derived from the characteristic mane-like strip of black fur running from the back of the head to the shoulders, which stands erect when danger is sensed. The fur is shaggy and golden-red in color; it has a long, pointed muzzle and large, erect ears. It’s extremely long, thin legs are black and make the maned wolf immediately recognizable. It’s throat, inside of the ears and tip of the tail are white. The adult animal stands almost 1 m (3 ft) tall at the shoulder, and weighs 20 to 25 kg. (50 to 55 lb). Although their range in known to extend from NE Brazil, south through Paraguay and west into Peru, it is not known how many Maned Wolves survive in the wild. In Brazil this species is found in the Cerrado, a large area of open woodland and savannah that is one of the world's most important 'hot-spots' for biodiversity.

Shy and nocturnal: Contrary to popular belief maned wolves aren't generally fearless predators, but are rather shy, they are wary of man and do not attack unless provoked. The maned wolf hunts at night, with activity peaks at dusk and dawn, and rests during the day in areas of thick bush cover. Maned wolves are primarily nocturnal and have crepuscular activity peaks. The diet consists of a wide variety of fruits and small mammals, such as armadillos and rabbits, but also includes occasional birds, reptiles, insects, fish and arthropods. The wolf's main source of food is the tomato-like lobeira fruit, (Solanum lycocarpum) which provide medicinal aid against the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyme renale.

Solitary and monogamous: Unlike other wolves that live in cooperative breeding packs, the maned wolf is primarily solitary. Maned wolves are monogamous, though males and females tend to live independently except during the breeding season. Captive individuals have lived up to 15 years

Near Threatened: Maned Wolf is classified as Near Threatened. At present it is not known how many maned wolves remain in the wild. Threats to their survival include hunting and habitat loss. As its habitat is encroached upon by ever-expanding farms, the wolf is forced into increased proximity with people, exacerbating the already-existing conflict. In addition maned wolves are often killed on highways. Domestic dogs also pose a threat by transferring diseases, competing for food, and even killing the maned wolf.

O Lobo-Guará (nome científico Chrysocyon brachyurus) é o maior mamífero canídeo nativo da América do Sul. Apesar do nome, ele não é um lobo, mas uma espécie distinta adaptada ao Cerrado. A sua distribuição geográfica estende-se pela América do Sul e no Brasil nas regiões Sul, Sudeste e Centro-oeste. O Lobo-Guará mede até cerca de 1 metro no ombro e pesa entre 20 e 25 kg, tendo entre 1,45 e 1,90 m de comprimento total e 80 cm de altura do chão à cernelha. Suas orelhas são grandes e ele tem pernas longas. Sua pelagem característica é avermelhada por todo o corpo, exceto no pescoço, pernas e patas que são negras, e a ponta da cauda que é branca.

Solitário, noturno e monógamo: Ao contrário dos lobos, esta espécie não forma alcatéias e tem hábitos solitários, juntando-se apenas em casais durante a época de reprodução. A reprodução se dá uma vez por ano, sendo que em cada cria nascem de 1 a 6 filhotes. É um animal tímido e dificilmente se aproxima do ser humano. É mais ativo ao entardecer e à noite. O Lobo-Guará caça preferencialmente de noite e ataca pequenos mamíferos roedores e aves. Na sua dieta eles necessitam alimentar-se de um fruto da planta lobeira (Solanum lycocarpum), que serve como um vermífugo natural contra a parasitose renal provocada por um nematóide. Na ausência desse fruto, o animal morre de complicações renais. Ele é também um importante dispersor de sementes. Sua longevidade é de cerca de 15 anos em cativeiro. Saiba mais sobre o Lobo-Guará visitando o site da Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo.

Those four photos you can see up here were taken by my husband

Photo upload HERE

You can read more about the Maned Wolf (Lobo-Guará) HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and AQUI, AQUI e AQUI.

LEAFCUTTER ANTS

Atualizei este post para participar do Ecological Day hospedado pelo Caliandra do Cerrado
I update this post to participate on Ecological Day hostes by Caliandra do Cerrado

You can see the trails made by Leafcutter Ants on my garden.

Leafcutter ants are social insects found in warmer regions of Central and South America. The ants get their name from the way they cut leaves from trees, which they then haul back to their nest. The Leafcutter don't eat the leaves, they are species of ants that are fungus farmers, they cultivate (grow) their own food, a type of fungus, in underground gardens. Leafcutter ants comprise two genera — Atta and Acromyrmex — with a total of 39 species, some of which are major agricultural pests. For example, some Atta species are capable of defoliating an entire citrus tree in less than 24 hours.

Trail pheromones: Leafcutter ants lay down an initial trail of pheromones as they return to the nest with food. This trail attracts other ants and serves as a guide. As long as the food source remains, the pheromone trail will be continually renewed.

Did you know? Leaf-cutting ants harvest more greenery in South American forests than any other animal. In fact, within the rain forest, leaf-cutter ants consume almost 20% of the annual vegetation growth! In its lifetime, a colony of these ants may move over 20 tons of soil. You can learn more about Leafcutter ants here, here and here.

As formigas cortadeiras são insetos sociais encontrados exclusivamente nas regiões tropicais e subtropicais das Américas. As formigas cortadeiras compreendem 2 gêneros de formigas cultivadoras de fungos, Atta e Acromyrmex, com um total de cerca de 40 espécies, alguns dos quais são sérias pragas agrícolas. As formigas cortadeiras são insetos desfolhadores e são capazes de desfolhar uma laranjeira inteira em menos de 24 horas. No Brasil, as formigas do gênero Atta são conhecidas popularmente como saúvas e as Acromyrmex como quenquéns. A população de um ninho adulto pode conter até vários milhões de formigas. As formigas cortadeiras não comem as plantas, mas cortam os vegetais e transportam os pedaços para o formigueiro onde esse material é utilizado para o cultivo de um fungo do qual se alimentam.

Trilha de feromônios: As formigas andam em filas, deixando no chão rastros químicos, os feromônios, que carregam odores com o cheiro da colônia a que pertencem, para que elas não se percam. Esses rastros são sua forma de comunicação.

Here you can see the hole of their nests. A mature leafcutter colony can contain more than 8 million ants, mostly sterile female workers. Leafcutter ants build huge nests, sometimes 30 feet across and 20 feet deep, which have several entrances, perhaps hundreds of yards apart. The colony is ruled by a single queen, an ant about the size of a baby mouse. She is 800 times heavier than her smallest worker! The queen may live for up to 20 years. After her death, the colony will fall in to a state of chaos and die along with her.

Photos by Sonia A. Mascaro

As I could not to take photos of the ants, here are some photos I founded on the web.

Photo by Best of un!art Fotos 2006

Photo by National Geographic

Photo by Wikipedia

Photo by The Flying Kiwi, Richard Seaman

Click on photos to enlarge

WALKING AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD

Atualização para participar do Ecological Day, hospedado pelo blog Caliandra do Cerrado

There is not much interesting going on these days. I just don't have much to post and nothing worth mentioning... So, today I post some photos from our everyday walking around. I hope I don't bore you all too much with those photos, because I guess you had been seeing those landscapes many times... I need so much alternative views and to see others horizons for a change....