Culpeo

The Culpeo is a species of medium size fox that are found only along the entire southern coastal borderline and the adjacent regions of South America. The population of this fox is stable, while they are widely distributed across their range in several names including Patagonian Fox, Patagonian Red Fox, Common Andean Fox, Andean Wolf, and Fuegian Fox.

Physical Description

Size: Total length can be anything between 95 and 132 cm (37 to 52 in).

Weight: The average weight of the male is 11.4 kg (25 lb), whereas the females are around 8.4 kg (19 lb).

Fur/Hair/Coat: The body fur has a grizzled appearance, with the neck and shoulders being mostly tawny to rufous in coloration, and the upper back part being dark.

Tail: Like other fox species, culpeos have bushy tails with a length of about 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in).

Sexual Dimorphism: There are no striking visual similarities between the sexes, except that the females are typically smaller than their male counterparts.

Lifespan

The maximum lifespan of the culpeo fox is 11 years in the wild.

Distribution

The fox is native to the western regions of South America, starting from Ecuador to Peru to southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

Habitat

Culpeos are found in temperate, tropical and terrestrial regions that include a variety of biomes including deserts and dunes, savanna, grasslands, forests including scrub and rainforests, chaparral, and mountains.

Classification of Species

The culpeos are found in six distinct subspecies, viz.:

1. Lycalopex
   culpaeus culpaeus
2. Lycalopex
   culpaeus andinus
3. Lycalopex
   culpaeus lycoides
4. Lycalopex
   culpaeus magellanicus
5. Lycalopex
   culpaeus reissii
6. Lycalopex
   culpaeus smithersi

Behavior

Like most other foxes, the culpeo is a solitary species, except during the mating and breeding seasons, when they move around with their mates, as also, associate with the young ones. Their activity level has been recorded to highest from summer to autumn.

Interestingly, the activity patterns of these canids vary from region to region. Those that live in Argentina, the Chilean desert, Magallanes Culpeos, and highland Peru are nocturnal, while the population in central Chile they are diurnal or crepuscular.

The culpeos opportunistic predators and take a variety of prey. The population from the Patagonia region have been noted moving around 7 km, while those from the deserts of northern Chile have been seen moving almost 21 km – almost treble.

The ways of communication of these foxes have not been studied in the wild. However, in captivity, they have been seen making mixed growls and screaming noises. These foxes have also been seen communicating through body scents, postures, physical cues, and sounds.

Diet

Technically speaking, these canids are omnivorous and consume both animals, as well as plant matters, including a variety of fruits.

However, their primary diet is meat, as they hunt down rabbits, birds, hares, lizards, insects, and eggs of different reptiles and birds. They have also been seen feasting upon carrion.

Reproduction & Life Cycle

There are very little information and data available regarding the mating system of these animals. It is thought that these animals are monogamous since their close cousins, the South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus) and the Darwin’s fox (Lycalopex fulvipes), mate and bond with a single partner, and defend a particular territory together.

The vixens are monstrous and go into heat (begin the estrus cycle) between August and October. The male foxes produce sperm between June and mid-October. After a period of successful mating, the females enter into a gestation period for 55 to 60 days before giving birth to 2 – 5 cubs in a den (average litter size being 5.2).

The newborn babies are born naked, with the eyes closed, and weigh around 170 g on an average. Both the father and the mother take care of the babies, beyond which, there is no data. However, a second female has been seen assist in taking care of the young ones.

The weaning of the baby culpeos occurs when they are around two months old. The juveniles attain their full size by the time they are seven months. Sexual maturity of the new generation of offspring takes place after about a year.

Adaptations

• The color pattern of these foxes distinctly coincides with the hues of the sand dunes of the desert. This helps them safely camouflage in the desert sand.

Other than this, the culpeos do not possess any complex anti-predator adaptations since they have very few natural enemies within their range.

Predators

The only known enemy of the fox is puma; however, they are attacked very rarely. However, humans have been hunting on them for fur, since ages.

Conservation Status

The IUCN 3.1 has enlisted these foxes as ‘LC’ (Least Concern) because of their current static population.

Interesting Facts

• Culpeos are considered important in the process of germination of seeds, while they consume fruits and disperse the seeds, especially those of peumo (Cryptocarya alba) and Peruvian pepper (Schinus molle). Records say that these seeds germinate at higher rates if defecated by these foxes.