Falkland Island wolf  (Dusicyon australis)

An enigmatic species, the Falkland Island wolf was the only native, terrestrial mammal found on the Falkland Islands, a fact which is puzzling given the absence of more adaptable, widespread species such as rats (2) (5). Two theories have been proposed to explain this species’ origin. The first is that the Falkland Island wolf was brought to the islands as a domestic animal by prehistoric indigenous peoples, while the second proposes that this species crossed a natural land bridge to the islands during the last Ice Age, when the sea-level was much lower than today (2). Although some would claim that the Falkland Island wolf’s remarkable tameness indicated its domestic ancestry, it has also been argued that such behaviour is also common in native, long-isolated island species (5).

The Falkland Island wolf was observed to feed on birds, especially geese, as well as pinnipeds. Unfortunately, little else is known of this species’ biology (2).