ABSTRACT Understanding the feeding ecology of key carnivores is essential to unravel their ecological roles and inform effective conservation strategies, especially in human‐modified landscapes. In this study, we investigated the feeding ecology of the maned wolf ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) and its gut passage effects on seed germination in small Cerrado fragments surrounded by silviculture in Brazil. We collected and analysed 84 scats and reviewed the literature to compare the niche breadth and food item richness with other studies. We also conducted germination trials using wolf's fruit ( Solanum lycocarpum ) seeds retrieved from scats and from ripe fruits. We identified 27 food items, with a strong predominance of wolf's fruits, birds, small mammals, Poaceae, and Hymenoptera species. Animal items were more frequent in the dry season, and native plant items in the rainy season. The maned wolf in our study area exhibited a narrow niche breadth (0.122), indicating low evenness in resource use and a diet structured around a few dominant items. Across 21 reviewed studies (24 sites), niche breadth ranged from 0.09 to 0.57 (mean = 0.37), with high variation in the number of consumed items (11–77, mean = 40.96), reinforcing that uneven resource use is common across populations. Seeds from scats showed significantly higher germination rates (52%) than those from ripe fruits (2%). Our findings support the classification of the maned wolf as an opportunistic generalist, whose diet is consistently structured around a subset of key resources rather than evenly distributed across all available items. Conservation strategies within silvicultural matrices should prioritise the preservation and restoration of open Cerrado fragments and the implementation of wildlife‐friendly forestry practices, such as maintaining habitat corridors and reducing pesticide use, to secure essential prey populations, native food resources, and the wolf's vital function as a seed disperser.
Veloso et al. (Mon,) studied this question.