Lycalopex Culpaeus
South American foxes, also know as zorros, aren’t really foxes- they are more closely related to wolves, coyotes and jackals. The culpeo is the largest South American fox species, weighing from 12 to 30 pounds (5-13.5 kg).
Culpeos are essentially the coyotes of South America. They are highly adaptable animals and live in a variety of habitats in western South America. These habitats include mountains, coastal beaches, plains, and deserts. Their distribution extends all the way from Ecuador and Peru to southern Patagonia.
Since most of their prey is active at night the culpeo is primarily nocturnal, although some populations are more active during the day (diurnal) or at dusk and dawn (crepuscular). Their diet consists mostly of rodents and rabbits but they also prey on lizards, birds, plants, carrion, and occasionally sheep, which makes them a target for shepherds.
Culpeos are very solitary animals, only seen in pairs during the breeding season and when they have pups. Even though they are very solitary and attack sheep, people attempted to domesticate them. This attempt didn’t go very well and the result, called a Fuegian dog or Yaghan dog, was only around until the early 1900′s. The dogs were used for hunting otters but they were apparently not loyal to their owners and frequently attacked livestock.
I rate the culpeo 14/10. They may have been bad dogs but they are very good foxes
Photo Credits:
(1) Torsten Klein (2) Bernardo Segura (3) doglime.com (4) Thomas Fuhrmann (5) Joel Sartore
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Lycalopex culpaeus
South American foxes, also know as zorros, aren’t really foxes- they are more closely related to wolves, coyotes and jackals. The culpeo is the largest South American fox species, weighing from 12 to 30 pounds (5-13.5 kg).
Culpeos are essentially the coyotes of South America. They are highly adaptable animals and live in a variety of habitats in western South America. These habitats include mountains, coastal beaches, plains, and deserts. Their distribution extends all the way from Ecuador and Peru to southern Patagonia.
Since most of their prey is active at night the culpeo is primarily nocturnal, although some populations are more active during the day (diurnal) or at dusk and dawn (crepuscular). Their diet consists mostly of rodents and rabbits but they also prey on lizards, birds, plants, carrion, and occasionally sheep, which makes them a target for shepherds.
Culpeos are very solitary animals, only seen in pairs during the breeding season and when they have pups. Even though they are very solitary and attack sheep, people attempted to domesticate them. This attempt didn’t go very well and the result, called a Fuegian dog or Yaghan dog, was only around until the early 1900′s. The dogs were used for hunting otters but they were apparently not loyal to their owners and frequently attacked livestock.
I rate the culpeo 14/10. They may have been bad dogs but they are very good foxes
Photo credits:
(1) Torsten Klein (2) Bernardo Segura (3) doglime.com (4) Thomas Fuhrmann (5) Joel Sartore
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Extinction Notice:
As of 1919, the adorable and very huggable Fugain Dog is officially extinct. Time Agents looking to adopt one of these warm and cuddly living scarves need to visit the Yahgan people of South America PRIOR to 1919.
Keep in mind, these are NOT typical dogs, which are descended from grey wolves. These fuzzy friends are descended from the culpeo, also called the Andean fox or the zorro. Paradoxically, they are neither true foxes nor do any of them wear tiny masks and fight crime.
At the very least, will one of the Agents responsible for the 1800’s please make sure that we preserve at least ONE decent taxidermy specimen of the Fuegian Dog before they go extinct? The current selection is…less than ideal.
V/r,
Agent Kay
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chawpi qichwa
animals / uywakuna
*excluding insects & non-native animals except introduced domesticated animals that have become a staple in quechua cultures.
a-aa-ch-h-i-ii-k-l-ll-m-n-ñ-p-q-r-s-sh-t-ts-tr-u-uu-w-y
ALLQU — dog
akash — guinea pig
atuq — fox/culpeo
amaru — snake
akakllu — andean flicker
akarway — lobster
ashnu — donkey
añash — andean hog-nosed skunk
aqruy — white-throated caracara
CHAKWA / yutu — andean tinamou
challwa — fish
chipi — white-fronted capuchin
chillaw — brown-bellied swallow
chusiq tuku — western barn owl
chipsha — chicken
chiwaku — chiguanco thrush
HATUN TUKU — great horned owl
hatun ukush — rat
INTRIWSHI — marsupial frog
KAWALLU — horse
kakash — chicken/ rooster
kirkinchu — armadillo
kullku — bare-faced ground dove
killiwara / killincha / killiksha — american kestrel
kuchi — pig
LLAMA — andean camelid
lliqllish — wader
lluychu — deer
MACHAKU — snakes
malaku — sierra finch
mashu — leaf-nosed bats
mishi — cats / panther kitten
PAKAPAKA — ferruginous pygmy owl
paku — alpaca
pariwana — andean flamingo
pichi — peruvian meadowlark
pichiwsa — rufous-collared sparrow
pikpish tuku — burrowing owl
pishqu — bird
puku-puku — grey-breasted seedsnipe
puma — mountain lion
QARACHUPA — southern black-eared opossum
qinchu — hummingbird
qipaman puriq kuru — freshwater crab
qiwlla — andean gull
RACHAK — warty toad
SALASH — peruvian anchoveta
SHUKULLWAY — tree iguana
shuri — rhea
shuru — pupfish
TAKAMA — common gallinule
tuku — owl
tuya — golden grosbeak
TSIKTSI — leaf-nosed bats
UKUMARI / ukuku — andean short-faced bear
ukush — junín grass mouse
upa anka — turkey vulture
uturunku — jaguar
uwish/ uusha — sheep
WAAKA — cow
wachwa / wallata — andean goose
wallpa — chicken
waman — falcon
wamanñawi — acancocha water frog
wanaku — guanaco
watapuñuq — boa constrictor
wawash — peruvian thick-knee
wawaytukri — great egret
wayanay / wayanita — white-collared swift
waychaw — black-billed shrike-tyrant
waywash — long-tailed weasel
wikuña — vicuña
wiskash / wishka / wiskacha — viscacha
YANAWIKU — puna ibis
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source , photos from wikimedia , liolaemus alticolor by mauricio ocampo (red de investigadores en herpetología-bolivia)
bonus fact: the dog in the first photo is a coated peruvian hairless dog!
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