Mammals · Carnivora · Canidae

Pampas Fox

Lycalopex gymnocercus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The pampas fox — known in Spanish as zorro de las pampas or zorro gris pampeano — is a medium-sized canid of central and eastern South America, very like the South American grey fox but with a more easterly range. It is omnivorous and extraordinarily adaptable: rodents, birds, insects, fruit, carrion and also refuse on the edges of towns. It has benefited from the spread of farming and is now common on the Argentine and Uruguayan pampas, where stock farmers persecute it for its reputation as a lamb killer.

Weight

3 kg – 8 kg

Size

50 cm – 80 cm

Lifespan

14 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandOmnivore Nocturnal In pairs Temperate forest Grassland Mammal

7countries 23parks34same family

Fun facts

GeneralCornered, it plays dead until the danger passes.
When cornered and unable to flee it lies down on its side and plays dead, even letting itself be handled, and bolts the moment the danger is distracted: a rare behaviour among canids.
It is one of the few South American carnivores to have extended its range along with farming: the conversion of forest into open country has opened up ground for it in areas where it was not previously found.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Pampas, grassland, farmland and forest edges of central and eastern South America
Sexual maturity: 10 months
Gestation / incubation: 57 days
Litter / clutch size: 4

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/