Lycalopex

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in biology, Lycalopex (Alias:South American Fox Synonyms:Pseudalopex) There are 6 species of Lycalopex, which are medium-sized foxes but smaller in size. The body length is 40-95 cm, the tail is about 34 cm long, and the weight is 3-4 kg. It is the second largest canine in the South American continent, after the maned wolf. The ears are triangular, broad and large, red on the outside and white on the inside. The fur is light gray, gray, brown and red, with white chin, red feet and stripes on the back. Long tail. The coat color varies depending on the season and distribution area. It is slightly lighter in summer and darker in winter.

Inhabits the mountain forests and open vast areas of the Andes, as well as deciduous forests, pampas, hills, wastelands, ridges and deserts. Omnivorous, but mainly eats meat. Approximately 75% of the diet consists of rodents, lagomorphs (rabbits, hares, and pikas), and birds. These foxes also eat frogs and lizards. Plant matter includes fruits, sugar cane straw. Poultry is even poached.

The second-oldest known fossils belonging to the genus were discovered in Chile, and date from 2.0 to 2.5 million years ago, in the mid- to late Pliocene. The Vorohué Formation of Argentina has provided older fossils, dating to the Uquian to Ensenadan (Late Pliocene).

There are 6 species of Lycalopex, which are medium-sized foxes but smaller in size. The body length is 40-95 cm, the tail is about 34 cm long, and the weight is 3-4 kg. It is the second largest canine in the South American continent, after the maned wolf. The ears are triangular, broad and large, red on the outside and white on the inside. The fur is light gray, gray, brown and red, with white chin, red feet and stripes on the back. Long tail. The coat color varies depending on the season and distribution area. It is slightly lighter in summer and darker in winter. Those living in northern areas have lighter coat color. Some have black muzzles or black markings, and their chins and abdomens are white to light yellowish brown. The ears, neck, legs, sides and top of the head are yellowish brown or reddish brown. The hair around the tail is usually darker, sometimes a dull gray. The tail is thick gray with a black tip. During the winter, the fur becomes longer and denser. Males are 10% heavier than females.

The body is slender. The snout is pointed and long, the nasal bones are slender, the front of the frontal bone is gentle, with a narrow groove in the middle, and the ears are large, high, pointed, and upright. The limbs are short and the tail is longer, slightly more than half the body length. The tail is thick, the fur is long and fluffy, the body is covered with long guard hairs, and the winter fur has a rich undervelvet. The upper half of the back of the ears is black, which is obviously different from the color of the hair on the head, and the tip of the tail is white. The soles of the feet are covered with dense short hairs; they have tail glands that can emit a peculiar odor, called "fox smell"; and they have 4 pairs of nipples.

Inhabits the mountain forests and open vast areas of the Andes, as well as deciduous forests, pampas, hills, wastelands, ridges and deserts. It is generally recorded that they live in earth caves, tree holes or abandoned holes of other animals. In the northern region, badger holes are used or expanded. Sometimes they even share the same den with badgers. They are mostly active on hillsides, often inhabiting large rock crevices or ravines, and only live in dens during the breeding season. They prefer plains with tall grass, mountains, streams, or dune forests, occasionally entering forested areas.

The activity patterns of Lycalopex vary from region to region. In Argentina, Peruvian highlands, Chilean deserts and Magellan, it is nocturnal, but in central Chile it only emerges after sunset. They live alone and only live together during the breeding season and when caring for their young. If threatened, they will play dead until the threat passes. They are primarily nocturnal, although sometimes active during the day in inhabited areas. They spend most of their time in grasslands chasing prey. Hearing and smell are well developed, he is cunning and quick in action. Likes to do activities alone. Hunts at night. They usually come out at night and sleep in caves during the day. Their long tails protect against moisture and keep warm. However, in remote places, they sometimes come out to look for food during the day. Although its legs and feet are short, its claws are sharp and it can run very fast.

They exhibit two particularly interesting behaviors. One is the well-known collecting habit, such as pieces of cloth, leather goods, and some household garbage abandoned by humans, which can often be found in the caves of river foxes. Another item is that when a person approaches and they feel threatened and have no time to run, they will lie on the ground, close their eyes, and pretend to be dead until they sense the threat and leave. They are mainly active at night and often visit sparsely populated areas on the edge of villages and towns.

Omnivorous, but mainly eats meat. Approximately 75% of the diet consists of rodents, lagomorphs (rabbits, hares, and pikas), and birds. These foxes also eat frogs and lizards. Plant matter includes fruits, sugar cane straw. Poultry is even poached.

The zorros are hunted in Argentina for their durable, soft pelts. They are also often labelled 'lamb-killers'.[citation needed]

In his diary of his well-known 1952 traveling with the young Che Guevara Alberto Granado mentions talking with seasonal workers employed on vast sheep farms, who told him of a successful campaign by the ranch owners to exterminate the foxes who were preying on lambs. The ranchers offered a reward of one Argentinian peso for the body of a dead male fox and as much as five pesos for a female fox; to impoverished workers in the early 1950s, five pesos were a significant sum. Within a few years, foxes became virtually extinct in a large part of Argentina.

The Fuegian dog (Spanish: perro yagán, perro fueguino), also known as the Yaghan dog, was a domesticated form of the culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), unlike other domesticated canids which were dogs and silver foxes. This means different canid species have been domesticated multiple times by humans independently.

Usually solitary, they appear in pairs during the breeding season and are monogamous. The breeding season is from July to October every year, and pregnant female foxes will hide in nests at the bottom of trees or in the jungle. The gestation period is 55-60 days, and each litter will give birth to 3-5 fox cubs. The average weight of newborns is 170 grams. They are late adults and their eyes are tightly closed when they are born. Pups are almost black at birth but gradually lighten as they grow. When the female fox takes care of her cubs, the male fox will bring them food. They are weaned at 2 months and will hunt with their parents when they are 2-3 months old. It takes about 7 months to reach adulthood, and sexual maturity occurs after a year. The average life span is 13 years.

The main threat is humans hunting for their pelts and killing them to protect livestock. Most species have experienced dramatic habitat changes in their living spaces and ranges. For example, in the Pampas, a significant proportion of the species' range has been affected by extensive beef cattle breeding and agricultural farming. Only 0.1% of the original approximately 500 square kilometers remains unchanged. However, due to the species' adaptability, the pampas fox is able to withstand the loss and degradation of its natural habitat, as well as hunting pressure. The impact of rural ecosystems on population dynamics has not been studied, but caution is required as the sum of these threats could ultimately contribute to the depletion of river fox populations. Hunting pressure has led to population declines in Tucumán province and Salta in northwestern Argentina. Lycalopex fur trade was banned.