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.
References
★ Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern