The Sechuran fox, Lycalopex sechurae, also called the Peruvian desert fox, is a small South American false fox named for the Sechura Desert in northwestern Peru. It weighs 2.6 to 4.2 kilograms, has gray agouti fur fading to cream underparts, reddish-brown marks on the ears, eyes and legs, and a black-tipped tail. It lives along the coast and western Andean foothills of southwestern Ecuador and western Peru, in deserts, dry forests and on beaches. It is nocturnal and usually solitary and spends the day in a den. An opportunistic feeder, it eats seed pods, fruit, insects, rodents, eggs and carrion and may survive long without drinking. One 2022 study put the population near 5,000. Habitat destruction and hunting threaten it, and the IUCN lists it as Near Threatened.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) ThreatsBiological Resource Use 1 Relationship to People Relationship to PeopleUsed in Traditional Medicine 1 Living or Extinct Conservation Status Population Estimate Body Size Band Activity Pattern Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Sechuran fox (Wikipedia)
In Biome
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Sechuran fox (Wikipedia)Distribution and habitat, EcuadorQuote, Distribution and habitat, Ecuador
First identified in the Sechura Desert, the fox inhabits arid environments in southwestern Ecuador and western Peru, at elevations from sea level to at least 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and possibly much higher.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Sechuran fox (Wikipedia)Distribution and habitat, PeruQuote, Distribution and habitat, Peru
First identified in the Sechura Desert, the fox inhabits arid environments in southwestern Ecuador and western Peru, at elevations from sea level to at least 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and possibly much higher.
Sources
1. Sechuran fox (Wikipedia)
Behavior and diet, conservation
The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
Behavior and diet, IUCN status
The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
Lead, population estimate
but one 2022 study estimates it to be around 5,000
Evolution, adaptive characteristics
when ecological conditions allow, it is omnivorous, but is capable of surviving on a completely vegetarian diet
Behavior and diet
The Sechuran fox is nocturnal, and spends the daylight hours in a den dug into the ground.
Distribution and habitat
Within this region it has been reported from the western foothills of the Andes down to the coast, inhabiting deserts, dry forests, and beaches.
Lead, threats
The main threats to this species currently are anthropogenic; largely habitat destruction through deforestation, and hunting (though to a smaller extent).
Behavior and diet, hunting
and are hunted both to reduce such attacks and so that their body parts can be used in local handicrafts, folk medicine, or magical rituals
Behavior and diet, folk medicine
and are hunted both to reduce such attacks and so that their body parts can be used in local handicrafts, folk medicine, or magical rituals
Distribution and habitat, Ecuador
First identified in the Sechura Desert, the fox inhabits arid environments in southwestern Ecuador and western Peru, at elevations from sea level to at least 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and possibly much higher.
Distribution and habitat, Peru
First identified in the Sechura Desert, the fox inhabits arid environments in southwestern Ecuador and western Peru, at elevations from sea level to at least 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and possibly much higher.
Child Taxon Of: Lycalopex, Lead, genus
The Sechuran fox (Lycalopex sechurae), also called the Peruvian desert fox or the Sechuran zorro, is a small South American species of canid closely related to other South American "false" foxes or zorro.
In Group: Dogs And Wild Canids, Lead, canid
The Sechuran fox (Lycalopex sechurae), also called the Peruvian desert fox or the Sechuran zorro, is a small South American species of canid closely related to other South American "false" foxes or zorro.
View the Source2. Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014): EltonTraits 1.0 mammal diet data
Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014)MamFuncDat.txt row Lycalopex sechurae, BodyMass-Value (grams)Quote, MamFuncDat.txt row Lycalopex sechurae, BodyMass-Value (grams)
Lycalopex sechurae Canidae 10 30 30 0 0 0 20 0 0 10 Ref_1 ABC G A 1 0 0 Ref_1 ABC 4234
3. AnAge, Human Ageing Genomic Resources: AnAge entry for Lycalopex sechurae
AnAge, Human Ageing Genomic ResourcesLifespan, ageing, and relevant traits: Maximum longevityQuote, Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits: Maximum longevity
9.9 years (captivity)
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