South American Gray Fox

Taxobox
name = South American Gray FoxMSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id=14000808]

---

status = LC
status_system = iucn2.3
trend = stable
status_ref = IUCN2007|assessors=Jiménez "et al"|year=2004|id=6927|title=Pseudalopex griseus|downloaded=06 May 2008 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern]
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Carnivora
familia = Canidae
genus = "Lycalopex"
species = "L. griseus"
binomial = "Lycalopex griseus"
binomial_authority = (Gray, 1837)
synonyms =
*"gracilis" (Burmeister, 1861)

The South American Gray Fox ("Lycalopex griseus"), also known as the Patagonian Fox, the Chilla, or the Grey Zorro, is a species of zorro, the "false" foxes.

Range and Habitat

The South American Gray Fox is found in the Southern Cone of South America, particularly in Argentina and Chile. Its range comprises a stripe, both sides of the Andes Mountain Range between parallels 17ºS (northernmost Chile) and 54ºS (Tierra del Fuego).

In Argentina, this species inhabits the western semiarid region of the country, from the Andean spurs (ca. 69ºW) to meridian 66ºW. South from the Río Grande river, the distribution of the fox widens reaching the Atlantic coast. In Chile, it is present throughout the country. Its presence in Peru has been mentioned; to date, however, there has been no confirmation of it. The South American Gray Fox was introduced to the Falkland Islands in the late 1920's early 1930's and is still present in quite large numbers on Beaver and Weddell Islands plus several smaller islands.

The South American Gray Fox occurs in a variety of habitats, from the warm, arid scrublands of the Argentinean Monte and the cold, arid Patagonian steppe to the forest of southernmost Chile.

Description

The South American Gray Fox is a small South American canid, weighing 2.5–4 kg (5–9 pounds), and measuring 43–70 cm (17–27 inches) in length.

Diet

Its diet consists mainly of rodents, birds, and rabbits.

Reproduction

It breeds in late austral fall, around March. After a gestation period of 2 months, 2-4 kits are born in a den. Not much else is recorded about its lifestyle.

References

*González del Solar, R. and J. Rau (2004) "Pseudalopex griseus". In C. Sillero-Zubiri, M. Hoffman and D. Macdonald (eds.) Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs. Gland, Switzerland, IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group. Pp. 56-63. (Available at http://www.canids.org/species/Chilla.pdf)
*IUCN (2004): Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs

External links

*Funes, M. C., Novaro, A. J., Monsalvo, O. B., Pailacura, O., Sánchez Aldao, G., Pessino, M., Dosio, R., Chehébar, C., Ramilo, E., Bellati, J., Puig, S., Videla, F., Oporto, N., González del Solar, R., Castillo, E., García, E., Loekemeyer, N., Bugnest, F. and Mateazzi, G. (2006) El manejo de los zorros en la Argentina. Compatibilizando las interacciones entre la ganadería, la caza comercial y la conservación. In Bolkovik, M. L. and Ramadori, D. (eds.), Manejo de fauna silvestre en la Argentina. Programas de uso sustentable. Buenos Aires, Dirección de Fauna Silvestre. Chapter 12. (Available at http://www.canids.org/species/Funes%20et%20al%202006%20Manejo%20de%20zorros%20en%20Argentina.pdf)
*http://www.lioncrusher.com/animal.asp?animal=19