This maned wolf painting has some hidden details…

The fruit on the top borders are ‘wolf apples’ (Solanum lycocarpum), a major part of the maned wolf’s diet. The ants in the bottom borders are leafcutter ants (Atta laevigata).

The maned wolf transports the seeds of the fruit, depositing them in its dung, which is then gathered by the ants to fertilize their underground fungus gardens. This results in more of the fruit plants sprouting from the ant mounds, and the cycle continues!

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is not actually a wolf, but the only species in its genus, Chrysocyon. Its fox-like appearance and long legs have earned it the nickname ‘fox on stilts’.