Pseudalopex vetulus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CARNIVORA	CANIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pseudalopex vetulus

Species Authority:

(Lund, 1842)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Hoary Fox, Hoary Zorro, Small-toothed Dog
French	–	Renard Du Brésil
Spanish	–	Zorro De Campo Común

Synonym/s:

Lycalopex vetulus (Lund, 1842)

Taxonomic Notes:

Included in the genus Lycalopex by Wozencraft (2005), but here retained in Pseudalopex.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Dalponte, J. & Courtenay, O.

Reviewer/s:

Sillero-Zubiri, C. & Hoffmann, M. (Canid Red List Authority)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
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.

History:

2004	–	Data Deficient
1996	–	Data Deficient (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1996	–	Data Deficient
1994	–	Insufficiently Known (Groombridge 1994)
1990	–	Insufficiently Known (IUCN 1990)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Hoary Fox is confined to Brazil, associated with the cerrado habitats (mosaic of grasslands and xerophytic vegetation) of the central Brazilian plateau, and peripheral transitional zones including dry open habitats of the Pantanal (Mato Grosso state). Confirmed in the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins and Goiás (J. Dalponte unpubl.), southern and western Bahia (Juarez and Marinho-Filho 2002; J. Dalponte, pers. obs.), and western Piauí in Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara (F. Olmos pers. comm.). Capture records of an extant specimen held in Teresina Zoological Park indicate its northerly geographical limit is probably in north Piauí (Costa and Courtenay 2003). A previous report of its occurrence in Ceará (north-east Brazil) (Deane 1956) was contested by Courtenay et al. (1996). Records along the Brazil-Bolivian border in Mato Grosso (Anderson 1997) are unsubstantiated; the nearest record is 70 km to the south in the Pantanal (Mato Grosso do Sul) (J. Dalponte unpubl.).
Countries:	Native: Brazil
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The species is locally abundant in the central highland cerrado biome, but populations appear smaller than those of the sympatric Crab-eating Fox for which population estimates are similarly lacking.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

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.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	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.

Major Threat(s):

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.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Occurs in a number of protected areas throughout its range. The species is currently listed as Least Concern on the Brazilian Red List (Machado et al. 2005); it is classified as Near Threatened in the Minas Gerais state list. Hunting and trade in wildlife is generally forbidden in Brazil. There is no specific hunting legislation for Hoary Foxes. Specimens in Brazilian zoos at the time of writing include: Brasilia (1); São Paulo (1); Ribeirão Preto (1); Belo Horizonte (5); Teresina (1). High mortality rates due to starvation amongst captive cubs are reported. There are no current plans to reintroduce hoary foxes into the wild. Gaps in Knowledge Areas for further research include focusing on aspects of behavioural ecology, population status, geographical range, the potential role of disease in population regulation, and their status as potential reservoirs of veterinary (e.g., scabies, distemper) and public health (e.g., leishmaniasis, rabies) pathogens.

Conservation Actions:

Occurs in a number of protected areas throughout its range.

The species is currently listed as Least Concern on the Brazilian Red List (Machado et al. 2005); it is classified as Near Threatened in the Minas Gerais state list.

Hunting and trade in wildlife is generally forbidden in Brazil. There is no specific hunting legislation for Hoary Foxes.

Specimens in Brazilian zoos at the time of writing include: Brasilia (1); São Paulo (1); Ribeirão Preto (1); Belo Horizonte (5); Teresina (1). High mortality rates due to starvation amongst captive cubs are reported. There are no current plans to reintroduce hoary foxes into the wild.

Gaps in Knowledge
Areas for further research include focusing on aspects of behavioural ecology, population status, geographical range, the potential role of disease in population regulation, and their status as potential reservoirs of veterinary (e.g., scabies, distemper) and public health (e.g., leishmaniasis, rabies) pathogens.

Bibliography [top]

	Anderson, S. 1997. Mammals of Bolivia: Taxonomy and distribution. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 231: 1–652. Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (comps and eds). 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Costa, C. H. N. and Courtenay, O. 2003. A new record of the hoary fox Pseudalopex vetulus in north Brazil. Mammalia 67: 593-594. Courtenay, O., Santana, E. W., Johnson, P., Vasconcelos, I. A. B. and Vasconcelos, A. W. 1996. Visceral leishmaniasis in the hoary zorro Dusicyon vetulus: a case of mistaken identity. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 90: 498-502. da Fonseca, G. A. B., Rylands, A. B., Costa, C. M. R., Machado, R. B. and Leite, Y. R. 1994. Mamíferos Brasileiros sob Ameaça. In: G. A. B. Fonseca, A. B. Rylands, C. M. R. Costa, R. B. Machado and Y. R. Leite (eds), Livro vermelho dos mamíferos ameaçados de extinção, pp. 1-10. Fundação Biodiversitas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Deane, L. M. 1956. Leishmaniose visceral no Brasil. Estudos sõbre reservatórios e transmissores realisados no estado do Ceará. Serviço de Educação Sanitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Groombridge, B. (ed.). 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. IUCN. 1990. IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Juarez, K. M. and Marinho-Filho, J. 2002. Diet, habitat use, and home ranges of sympatric canids in central Brazil. Journal of Mammalogy 83: 925-933. Machado, A. B. M., Drummond, G. M. and Martins, C. S. 2005. Lista da Fauna Brasileira Ameaçada de Extinção: Incluindo as Espécies Quase Ameaçadas e Deficientes em Dados. Fundação Biodiversitas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Ministério do Meio Ambiente - Brazil. 1998. Primeiro Relatório para a Convenção sobre Diversidade Biológica - Brasil. Ministério do Meio Ambiente, dos Recursos Hídricos e da Amazônia Legal, Brasília, DF, Brazil. Sillero-Zubiri, C., Hoffmann, M. and Macdonald, D. W. (eds). 2004. Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Wozencraft, W. C. 2005. Order Carnivora. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic reference. Third Edition, pp. 532-628. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.

Anderson, S. 1997. Mammals of Bolivia: Taxonomy and distribution. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 231: 1–652.

Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (comps and eds). 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Costa, C. H. N. and Courtenay, O. 2003. A new record of the hoary fox Pseudalopex vetulus in north Brazil. Mammalia 67: 593-594.

Courtenay, O., Santana, E. W., Johnson, P., Vasconcelos, I. A. B. and Vasconcelos, A. W. 1996. Visceral leishmaniasis in the hoary zorro Dusicyon vetulus: a case of mistaken identity. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 90: 498-502.

da Fonseca, G. A. B., Rylands, A. B., Costa, C. M. R., Machado, R. B. and Leite, Y. R. 1994. Mamíferos Brasileiros sob Ameaça. In: G. A. B. Fonseca, A. B. Rylands, C. M. R. Costa, R. B. Machado and Y. R. Leite (eds), Livro vermelho dos mamíferos ameaçados de extinção, pp. 1-10. Fundação Biodiversitas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Deane, L. M. 1956. Leishmaniose visceral no Brasil. Estudos sõbre reservatórios e transmissores realisados no estado do Ceará. Serviço de Educação Sanitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Groombridge, B. (ed.). 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN. 1990. IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Juarez, K. M. and Marinho-Filho, J. 2002. Diet, habitat use, and home ranges of sympatric canids in central Brazil. Journal of Mammalogy 83: 925-933.

Machado, A. B. M., Drummond, G. M. and Martins, C. S. 2005. Lista da Fauna Brasileira Ameaçada de Extinção: Incluindo as Espécies Quase Ameaçadas e Deficientes em Dados. Fundação Biodiversitas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Ministério do Meio Ambiente - Brazil. 1998. Primeiro Relatório para a Convenção sobre Diversidade Biológica - Brasil. Ministério do Meio Ambiente, dos Recursos Hídricos e da Amazônia Legal, Brasília, DF, Brazil.

Sillero-Zubiri, C., Hoffmann, M. and Macdonald, D. W. (eds). 2004. Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Wozencraft, W. C. 2005. Order Carnivora. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic reference. Third Edition, pp. 532-628. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.

Citation:	Dalponte, J. & Courtenay, O. 2008. Pseudalopex vetulus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2013.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided