Theculpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), also known asCulpeo zorro,Andean zorro,Andean fox,Paramo wolf,[3]Andean wolf,[4] andcolpeo fox,[4] is a species ofSouth American fox. Despite the name, it is not atrue fox, but more closely related towolves and jackals. Its appearance resembles that of foxes due toconvergent evolution.
The culpeo'sdiet consists largely ofrodents,rabbits,birds andlizards, and to a lesser extent,plant material andcarrion. They may prey onAndean flamingos and babyvicuña. The culpeo sometimes attacks farm animals, among themsheep,goats andpoultry; for this, it is hunted in rural Chile and Argentina.[5] In some regions, it has become rare, but overall the species is not threatened withextinction.
The culpeo is a canid intermediate in size between ared fox and acoyote. It is the second-largest nativecanid on thecontinent after themaned wolf. In 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. The average weight of the male is 11.4 kg (25 lb), while the typically smaller females average 8.4 kg (19 lb). Overall, a weight range of 5 to 13.5 kg (11 to 30 lb) has been reported. Total length can range from 94 to 133 cm (37 to 52 in), including a tail of 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in) in length.[7] The pelt has a grizzled appearance. The neck and shoulders are often tawny to rufous in color, while the upper back is dark. The bushy tail has a black tip.[8]
The culpeo is an opportunistic predator that will take any variety of prey. It mainly feeds on rodents (includingcommon degus) andlagomorphs (especially the introducedEuropean rabbit andEuropean hare); however, it occasionally feeds on domestic livestock and youngguanacos.[10][11] They will also feed oninsects,birds,lizards,fruit, andcarrion ofllamas andvicuñas.[11] Culpeos are considered beneficial because they are significant predators of the rabbits introduced in 1915; such introduced rabbit populations are believed to have allowed culpeos to spread from the Andean foothills across the Patagonian plain.[12] They sometimes take young lambs up to 1 week old. In limited studies, the larger culpeo appears to dominate potential competitors, includingSouth American gray foxes,Geoffroy's cats,pampas cats,grisons and various raptorial birds.[8] In the southeastern Argentine Patagonia region, culpeos generally tend to consume more of the introduced European hare than the South American gray fox does year-round, while the gray fox tends to consume more rodents. However, during colder seasons, the culpeo's diet overlaps more with the gray fox due to a lack of variety in prey, thus causing prey partitioning as the culpeos use their size advantage to exclude the gray fox from areas with higher concentrations of prey.[13] Its range also overlaps that of the much largerpuma, but the size difference ensures that the two species have limited competition. They are known to eat the carcasses of vicuñas. Culpeos have also been observed preying upon introducedbeavers in Tierra del Fuego.[14]During a period of drought in central Chile's scrublandslagomorphs,coati,goats, andcattle make up a large amount of their diet.[15]
The typical mating period is between August and October. After a gestation period of 55–60 days, the female gives birth usually to between two and five pups.
Subspecies distribution:L. c. reissii (green);L. c. andinus (yellow);L. c. smithersi (blue);L. c. culpaeus (black);L. c. magellanicus (cyan);L. c. lycoides (red)
The taxonomy of the culpeo has been the topic of debate due to their highphenetic variability and the scarcity of research, among other things. Over the past three decades, they have been placed variably in the generaDusicyon (Clutton-Brock,et al., 1976; Wozencraft, 1989),Canis (Langguth, 1975; Van Gelder, 1978),Pseudalopex (Berta, 1987; Wozencraft, 1993; Tedfordet al., 1995) andLycalopex (Zunino, 1995; Wozencraft, 2005).[19]
This canid, like otherSouth American foxes, is still sometimes classified as a member of the genusPseudalopex.[1] AsPseudalopex andLycalopex have largely come to describe the same genus, either classification is acceptable, although the modern practice is to giveLycalopex prominence.[20]
^"Zorro Colorado"(PDF).Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarollo Sustentable de Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved6 January 2023.
^Novaro, Andres J.; Moraga, Claudio A.; Briceño, Cristobal; Funes, Martin C.; Marino, Andrea (2009). "First records of culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) attacks and cooperative defense by guanacos (Lama guanicoe)".Mammalia.73 (2):148–150.doi:10.1515/MAMM.2009.016.hdl:11336/102311.S2CID84525738.
^Alonso Marchante, José Luis (2019). "Cazadores del viento" [Hunters of the Wind].Selkʼnam: Genocidio y resistencia [Selkʼnam: Genocide and Resistance] (in Spanish). Santiago de Chile; Catalonia. p. 75.ISBN978-956-324-749-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Guntiñas, Marta; Lozano, Jorge; Cisneros, Rodrigo; Narváez, Carlos; Armijos, Jorge (July 2017). "Feeding ecology of the culpeo in southern Ecuador: wild ungulates being the main prey".Contributions to Zoology.86 (2):169–180.doi:10.1163/18759866-08602004.
Kelt, Douglas A.; Meserve, Peter L.; Previtali, M. Andrea; Milstead, W. Bryan; Lang, Brian K.; Véas, Hector; Gutiérrez, Julio R.; Troncoso, Alejandra J.; Oli, Madan K. (2025). "The components of predation in Culpeo Foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus), and the value of long-term observations".Therya.16 (1):107–124.doi:10.12933/therya-25-6150.ISSN2007-3364.
Novaro, Andres J. (1995). "Sustainability of harvest of culpeo foxes in Patagonia".Oryx.29 (1):18–22.doi:10.1017/S0030605300020822.
Pia, Mónica; López, María S.; Novaro, Andrés J. (2003). "Effects of livestock on the feeding ecology of endemic culpeo foxes (Pseudalopex culpaeus smithersi) in central Argentina".Revista Chilena de Historia Natural.76 (2):313–321.Bibcode:2003RvCHN..7600015P.doi:10.4067/S0716-078X2003000200015.
Salvatori, Valeria; Vaglio-Laurin, Gaia; Meserve, Peter L.; Boitani, Luigi; Campanella, Andrea (August 27, 1999). "Spatial Organization, Activity, and Social Interactions of Culpeo Foxes (Pseudalopex culpaeus) in North-Central Chile".Journal of Mammalogy.80 (3):980–985.doi:10.2307/1383268.JSTOR1383268.
Zapata, Sonia C.; Travaini, Alejandro; Delibes, Miguel; Martínez-Peck, Rolando (2005). "Food Habits and Resource Partitioning between Grey and Culpeo Foxes in Southeastern Argentine Patagonia".Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment.40 (2):97–103.Bibcode:2005SNFE...40...97Z.doi:10.1080/01650520500129836.hdl:10261/50241.
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