38. Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
The maned wolf looks like a fox crossed with a deer on stilts: long, slender legs, reddish fur, large pointed ears, and a black mane down its neck. It stands nearly 3 feet tall at the shoulder and roams the grasslands of South America.
Those ridiculously long legs shock adults who grew up thinking wolves were compact predators. The legs let it see over tall grass while hunting rodents and birds at night. It also barks like a dog and marks territory with a scent that smells like burnt marijuana. Grown-ups are amazed that this “giant fox on stilts” is actually a solitary canid that evolution stretched like a cartoon character.
