Hoary Fox
Encyclopedia
The hoary fox also called the hoary zorro, is a species
of zorro or "false" fox endemic to Brazil
. Unlike many other foxes, it feeds primarily on small invertebrates such as insects.
individuals have also been reported.
It is small for a fox, weighing only 3 to 4 kg (6.6 to 8.8 ), with a head and body length of 58 to 72 cm (22.8 to 28.3 ), and a tail 25 to 36 cm (9.8 to 14.2 ). Together with its slender form, the small size of the hoary fox makes it an agile and fast-running animal, while its relatively weak teeth adapt it to feeding on invertebrates, rather than larger prey.
s and dung beetle
s, but also may eat rodents, small birds, and fruit. Individuals have widely varying home ranges, depending on the local environment, but an average of 48 hectares (118.6 acre) has been reported from pastures in Mato Grosso
.
, although there are some recorded sightings from the north of the country, and Pleistocene
fossils are known from Argentina
. Although they may be found in more marginal habitats, they usually live in the cerrado
, between 90 and 1100 m (295.3 and 3,608.9 ) elevation, where there are open woodlands, bushlands, and savannahs that are smooth or scattered with trees.
There are no recognised subspecies.
period of around 50 days. The female prepares a den in which to give birth, sometimes using the burrows of other animals. Weaning
occurs at around four months of age.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of zorro or "false" fox endemic to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Unlike many other foxes, it feeds primarily on small invertebrates such as insects.
Description
The hoary fox has a short muzzle, small teeth, a short coat, and slender limbs. The upper part of the body is grey, and the underside of the body is cream or fawn. The tail is black on the tip with a marked dark stripe along the upper surface, which in male animals, may extend all the way along the back to the nape of the neck. The ears and outside part of the legs are reddish or tawny, and the lower jaw is black. Some melanisticMelanism
Melanism is an undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages, and the opposite of albinism. It is also the medical term for black jaundice.The word is deduced from the , meaning black pigment....
individuals have also been reported.
It is small for a fox, weighing only 3 to 4 kg (6.6 to 8.8 ), with a head and body length of 58 to 72 cm (22.8 to 28.3 ), and a tail 25 to 36 cm (9.8 to 14.2 ). Together with its slender form, the small size of the hoary fox makes it an agile and fast-running animal, while its relatively weak teeth adapt it to feeding on invertebrates, rather than larger prey.
Behaviour and diet
Hoary foxes are nocturnal, and largely solitary outside of the breeding season. It mainly eats insects, especially termiteTermite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s and dung beetle
Dung beetle
Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of...
s, but also may eat rodents, small birds, and fruit. Individuals have widely varying home ranges, depending on the local environment, but an average of 48 hectares (118.6 acre) has been reported from pastures in Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
.
Range
The hoary fox is native to south-central BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, although there are some recorded sightings from the north of the country, and Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
fossils are known from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Although they may be found in more marginal habitats, they usually live in the cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
, between 90 and 1100 m (295.3 and 3,608.9 ) elevation, where there are open woodlands, bushlands, and savannahs that are smooth or scattered with trees.
There are no recognised subspecies.
Reproduction
Females usually give birth to two to four pups in August to September, after a gestationGestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
period of around 50 days. The female prepares a den in which to give birth, sometimes using the burrows of other animals. Weaning
Weaning
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk...
occurs at around four months of age.