The maned wolf has an unusual gait in that it moves both legs on one side of its body at the same time. This gives it a characteristic rolling or rocking motion as it runs. It is generally thought the long legs of the maned wolf help it to see over the tall grass of the South American savannahs where it lives. Maned wolves will eat birds, rodents, reptiles, insects, and fish in addition to vegetables and plants. They have relatively small teeth and weak jaws and are thus somewhat limited in their ability to hunt larger animals.
Humans pose the most prominent threat to maned wolves through hunting and habitat destruction.
Maned wolves are not preyed upon by other animals in the wild and have few if any natural enemies. Maned wolves have a variety of vocalizations including barks, whimpers, growls, and yips. A solitary maned wolf may have a territory of more than 10 square miles. A pair may need almost three times that much space to survive.