Ethiopian Wolves Become First Large Carnivore Documented Feeding on Nectar

[Judi Lynn]

Nov 20, 2024 by Natali Anderson

Nectar foraging by Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) may contribute to the pollination of the Ethiopian red hot poker flower (Kniphofia foliosa), according to a new paper published in the journal Ecology.



An Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) licks nectar from the Ethiopian red hot poker flower (Kniphofia foliosa). Image credit: Adrien Lesaffre.


The Ethiopian wolf — also known as the red jackal, the Ethiopian jackal, the Abyssinian wolf, the horse jackal, the Simien jackal or Simien fox — is the rarest wild canid species in the world. The species is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, on account of its small numbers and fragmented range. Found only in the Ethiopian highlands, fewer than 500 individuals survive, in 99 packs restricted to 6 Afroalpine enclaves.

The primary prey of this large carnivore are African mole-rats, though it also feeds on other rat species and hares, occasionally goslings and eggs.

Dr. Sandra Lai, a researcher at the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme and the University of Oxford, and her colleagues observed Ethiopian wolves foraging for the nectar of Kniphofia foliosa.

“Kniphofia foliosa is a perennial herb endemic to Ethiopia found in the Bale Mountains and other high altitude grasslands, which also host the endemic Ethiopian wolf, a top predator restricted to the Afroalpine ecosystem,” the authors said. “Flowers from the Kniphofia genus produce large amounts of nectar, which attracts a variety of bird and insect pollinators.”

More:
https://www.sci.news/biology/nectar-foraging-ethiopian-wolves-13443.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. These Endangered Wolves Have a Sweet Tooth--and It Might Make Them Rare Carnivorous Pollinators

Ethiopian wolves like to lick up the flower nectar of red hot poker plants, and researchers have caught the behavior on camera

Alexa Robles-Gil
Daily Correspondent
November 27, 2024 2:07 p.m.

Most flowering plants need pollinators, relying on bees, bats, birds and more to help them produce seeds and fruits. Sometimes, in rarer cases, a small carnivore puts themself up for the job. Now, scientists say the Ethiopian wolf, the world’s rarest wild dog, might be the first known large carnivore to pollinate, as the canines lick red hot poker flowers to get their sweet fix.

In a new study published in Ecology last week, a team of researchers studying the endangered Ethiopian wolves captured the blossom-licking behavior on camera. The wolves, feeding on the flowers’ sweet nectar, might act as pollinators because of the remnants of pollen on their muzzles.

“The wolves lick the flowers like ice cream cones,” says lead author Sandra Lai, an ecologist at Oxford University in England, to the New York Times’ Elizabeth Anne Brown. She adds that watching the wolves is like a scene from a storybook.

The new images leave “no doubt” that the wolves drink nectar, as Tom Gable, a biologist at the University of Minnesota who studies wolf diets but was not involved with the study, adds to the publication.

More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-endangered-wolves-have-a-sweet-tooth-and-it-might-make-them-rare-carnivorous-pollinators-180985551/

[Hekate]

2. So interesting! Thanks as always Judi Lynn.

[2naSalit]

3. Very interesting...

And very cool. I hope they don't go extinct.

It is a major find to document this activity.

[rampartd]

4. do bears count as "large carnivores?"

great wolf photos

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Usually classed as omnivores. nt