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Status:
Least Concern
Listed as Least Concern as this Brazilian endemic is relatively widespread and locally abundant in the central highland cerrado biome, and exhibits some adaptability to anthropogenic disturbance. There are at present no major known threats believed to be resulting in a significant range-wide decline.
Population trend: Unknown
(Click on map for more detail)
Habitat and Ecology: Occurs in open cerrado habitats, but readily adapts to insect-rich livestock pastures and areas of agriculture (soybean, rice, corn, eucalyptus plantation). Rarely observed in densely wooded cerrado, floodplains, dry or gallery forests.
Major Threats: The principal biome where Hoary Foxes occur is the cerrado which is being destroyed at a rate of 3% each year, largely in the interests of agriculture (livestock and soybean) (MMA-BRASIL 1998). However, it appears that Hoary Foxes adapt to livestock pasture rich in termites and dung beetles. Breeding foxes are found in deforested wooded areas (J. Dalponte, pers. obs.), thus it is possible that deforestation may not have a negative impact on the species. Areas of high human population density are unlikely to be suitable. The species is not exploited for fur or any other products.
Hoary Fox - © Adriano Gambarini
For more photos and videos of this and other wild canid species, see:
(from Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs - 2004 Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan)
Synonym: Lycalopex vetulus
English: Hoary Zorro, Small-toothed Dog; French: Renard du Brésil ; Spanish: Zorro De Campo Común; Portuguese: raposa-do-campo, raposinha