Insects aren’t necessarily the only pollinators, but the Ethiopian wolf could be an unexpected candidate, as recent observations have shown that the canid is partial to the nectar of the large, cone-shaped flowers of the commonly named red-hot poker plant.
By Florence Rosier Published on December 7, 2024, at 3:10 am (Paris)
An Ethiopian she-wolf enjoying the nectar from the flowers of the commonly called red-hot poker plant ‘Kniphofia foliosa.’ Ethiopia on June 6, 2022.
The dusting of bright yellow around its muzzle was the giveaway. With its pointed, reddish nose the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) looks more like a fox, but it is the rarest wild canid in the world. The species numbers less than 500 individuals, divided into 99 packs and is only found in the Ethiopian highlands.
The golden pollen embellishing its snout comes from the flamboyant cone-shaped inflorescences of the commonly named red-hot poker plant (Kniphofia foliosa), and it is the first time that the carnivore has been observed eagerly licking the nectar from its tall flowers – a behavior documented in the November 19 issue of Ecology by a team from the Ethiopian wolf conservation program.
Some wolves have been seen visiting up to thirty flowers in a single survey, which begs the question: To what extent does the Ethiopian wolf contribute to the pollination of a flowering plant? The researchers have also found evidence of behavioral and social learning with young wolves being taken to flowering grasslands at the same time as their elders.
“Up to 87% of flowering plant species depend on a wide range of animal species for their pollination,” the authors write. “Among mammals, nectivorous pollinator species are mainly represented by flying species such as bats and, to a smaller extent, by some
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