Culpeo
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| Pseudalopex culpaeus (Molina, 1782) |
The Culpeo (Pseudalopex culpaeus), sometimes known as the Patagonian fox, is a South American species of wild dog. It is the second largest native canid on the continent after the Maned Wolf. In its appearance it bears many similarities to the widely recognized red fox. It has grey and reddish fur, a white chin, reddish legs, and a stripe on its back that may be barely visible.
Its distribution extends from Ecuador and Peru to the southern regions of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. It is most common on the western slopes of the Andes, where it inhabits open country and deciduous forests. Populations of culpeos are also found in some of the westernmost of the Falkland Islands, where they were introduced by humans. The Falkland Island Fox, extinct by 1876, was probably a close relative.
The culpeo’s diet consists largely of rodents, rabbits, birds and lizards, and to a lesser extent, plant material and carrion. Allegedly the culpeo attacks sheep and therefore it is often hunted or poisoned. In some regions it has become rare, but overall the species is not threatened with extinction.
[edit] References
- Jiménez et al (2004). Pseudalopex culpaeus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
