Pampas fox[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Lycalopex
Species:	L. gymnocercus
Binomial name
Lycalopex gymnocercus (Fischer, 1814)
Natural range shown in green

The pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), also known as Azara's fox, or Azara's zorro, is a medium sized zorro, or "false" fox, native to the South American pampas. The alternative common names are references to Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara.

Description[link]

Pampas fox dentition (right) compared with that of red fox (left)

The pampas fox resembles the culpeo or Andean fox in appearance and size, but has a proportionately wider snout, reddish fur on the head and neck, and a black mark on the muzzle. It has short, dense fur that is grey over most of the body, with a black line running down the back and onto the tail, and pale, almost white, underparts. The ears are triangular, broad and relatively large, and are reddish on the outer surface and white on the inner surface. The inner surfaces of the legs are similar in color to the underparts, while the outer surface is reddish on the forelimbs, and grey on the hindlimbs; the lower hindlimb also bears a distinctive black spot. Adults range from 51 to 80 centimetres (20 to 31 in) in body length, and weigh 2.4 to 8 kilograms (5.3 to 18 lb); males are approximately 10% heavier than females.^[3]

In the northern part of its range, the pampas fox is more richly colored than in the southern part.^{[citation needed]}

Distribution and habitat[link]

The pampas fox can be found in northern and central Argentina, Uruguay, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. It prefers open pampas habitats, often close to agricultural land, but can also be found in montane or chaco forest, dry scrubland, and wetland habitats. It is most common below 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) elevation, but can inhabit puna grasslands up to 3,500 metres (11,500 ft).^[4]

Five subspecies are currently recognised, although the geographic range of each is unclear, and the type localities of three of them lie outside the present-day range of the species^[3][1]:

• Lycalopex gymnocercus gymnocercus - northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil
• Lycalopex gymnocercus antiquus - central Argentina
• Lycalopex gymnocercus domeykoanus - first described from northern Chile
• Lycalopex gymnocercus gracilis - first described from western Argentina
• Lycalopex gymnocercus maulinicus - first described from central Chile

Fossils of this species are known from the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene of Argentina.^[3]

Behavior and diet[link]

The pampas foxes mostly live a solitary life, but come together as monogamous pairs in the breeding season to raise their young. They are mainly nocturnal, becoming active at dusk, although it may also be active during the day. They den in any available cavity, including caves, hollow trees, and the burrows of viscachas or armadillos.^[3] Even when raising young together, adult foxes generally hunt alone, marking their territory by defecating at specific latrine sites.^[5] Although there is considerable variation, the home range of a typical pampas fox has been estimated at around 260 hectares (640 acres).^[3]

Pampas foxes are more omnivorous than most other canids, and have a varied and opportunistic diet. Their primary prey consists of birds, rodents, hares, fruit, carrion, and insects, although they will also eat lizards, armadillos, snails and other invertebrates, lambs, and the eggs of ground-nesting birds.^[3] Their primary predators are pumas and domestic dogs.^[4]

If a threatening or larger animal comes near it is known to play dead with its eyes closed and will stay there until the animal leaves.^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction[link]

Pampas foxes breed in the early spring, with the female coming into heat just once each year. After a gestation period of 55 to 60 days, the mother gives birth to a litter of up to eight kits. The young are born between September and December, and are weaned at around two months of age. Females reach sexual maturity in their first year, and animals have lived for up to 14 years in captivity.^[3]

Pups will hunt with parents when they are 3 months old. The males bring food to their females who stay at the den with kits.^{[citation needed]}

Threats[link]

The main threats to the pampas fox comes from humans hunting them for their fur,^[6] to prevent them from attacking livestock, and may be affected by the loss of its natural habitat,^[4] although, because they remain common in most areas where it has been studied, the pampas fox is not presently considered a threatened species.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikispecies has information related to: Pseudalopex

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Map of South America, with the pampas encompassing a south-eastern area bordering the Atlantic ocean.

The Pampas (from Quechua pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American lowlands, covering more than 750,000 km² (289,577 sq mi), that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul. These vast plains are a natural region only interrupted by the low Ventana and Tandil hills near Bahía Blanca and Tandil (Argentina), with a height of 1,300 m (4,265 ft) and 500 m (1,640 ft) respectively. The climate is mild, with precipitation of 600 mm (23.6 in) to 1,200 mm (47.2 in), more or less evenly distributed through the year, making the soils appropriate for agriculture. This area is also one of the distinct physiography provinces of the larger Paraná-Paraguay Plain division. These plains contain unique wildlife because of the different terrains around it. Some of this wildlife includes the rhea, the pampas deer, several species of armadillos, the pampas fox, the White-eared opossum, the Elegant Crested Tinamou, and several other species.

Climate[link]

Pampas landscape, at eye level

The climate of the Pampas is generally temperate, gradually giving way to a more tropical climate in the north, and to an arid climate on the west and the south. Summer temperatures are more uniform than winter temperatures, ranging from 20 °C (68 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F) in the north, 17 °C (63 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) in most of the areas, and from 15 °C (59 °F) to 27 °C (81 °F) along the Atlantic coast. Extremely hot days might reach over 40ºC/104F.

Fall arrives gradually in March, and peaks in April and May. In April, highs will range from 20 to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F) and lows from 9 to 13 °C (48 to 55 °F). The first frosts arrive in mid-April in the south, and in late May or early June in the north.

Winters are generally mild, although cold waves do occur. Normal temperatures range from 12 to 19 °C (54 to 66 °F) during the day, and from 1 to 6 °C (34 to 43 °F) at night. With strong northerly winds, days of over 25 °C (77 °F) can be recorded almost everywhere, whereas during cold waves, high temperatures can be only 6ºC (43F). Frost occurs everywhere in the Pampas, although it is much more frequent in the southwest, and less so around the Parana and Uruguay rivers. Temperatures under −5 °C (23 °F) can occur everywhere, whereas values of −10 °C (14 °F) or lower are confined to the south and west. Snow never falls in the northernmost third, and is rare and light elsewhere, except for exceptional events where depths have reached 30 cm (12 inches).

Springs are very variable, it is warmer than fall in most areas (especially in the west) but significantly colder along the Atlantic. Violent storms are more common, as well as wide temperature variations: days of 35 °C (95 °F) can give way to nights of under 5 °C (41 °F) or even frost, all within the same week.

Precipitation ranges from 1,200 millimetres (47 in) in the northeast, to about 500 millimetres (20 in) in the southern and western edges. In the west, it is highly seasonal, with some places recording averages of 120 millimetres (4.7 in) monthly in the summer, and only 20 millimetres (0.8 in) monthly in the winter. The eastern areas have small peaks in the fall and in the spring, with relatively rainy summers and winters that are only slightly drier. However, where summer rain falls as short, heavy storms, winter rain falls mostly as cold drizzle, so that the amount of rainy days is fairly constant. Violent thunderstorms are common in the spring and summer, bringing heavy rain, hail, winds and even tornadoes.

Vegetation[link]

Frequent wildfires ensure that only small plants such as grasses flourish, and trees are rare. The dominant vegetation types are grassy prairie and grass steppe in which numerous species of the grass genus Stipa are particularly conspicuous. "Pampas Grass" (Cortaderia selloana) is an iconic species of the Pampas. Vegetation typically includes perennial grasses and herbs. Different strata of grasses occur because of gradients of water availability.

The World Wildlife Fund divides the Pampas into three distinct ecoregions. The Uruguayan Savannah lies east of the Uruguay River, and includes all of Uruguay and the southern portion of Brazil's state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Humid Pampas include eastern Buenos Aires Province, and southern Entre Ríos Province. The Semi-arid Pampas includes western Buenos Aires Province and adjacent portions of Santa Fe, Córdoba, and La Pampa provinces. The Pampas are bounded by the drier Argentine espinal grasslands, which form a semicircle around the north, east, and south of the Humid Pampas.

Winters are cool to mild and summers are very warm and humid. Rainfall is fairly uniform throughout the year but is a little heavier during the summer. Annual rainfall is heaviest near the coast and decreases gradually further inland. Rain during the late spring and summer usually arrives in the form of brief heavy showers and thunderstorms. More general rainfall occurs the remainder of the year as cold fronts and storm systems move through. Although cold spells during the winter often send nighttime temperatures below freezing, snow is quite rare. In most winters, a few light snowfalls occur over inland areas.

Central Argentina boasts a successful agricultural business, with crops grown on the Pampas south and west of Buenos Aires. Much of the area is also used for cattle and more recently to grow vineyards in the Buenos Aires wine region. These farming regions are particularly susceptible to flooding during heavy rainfall.

View of the northern Pampas grain belt

Lake Gómez, near Junín, in the heart of the Pampas grain belt. The Pampa extends from the foothills of the Andes Mountains on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The region is peppered with finger lakes, holdovers from the last Ice Ages.

Al Este Bodega y Viñedos in Médanos, located in the Southern tip of the Buenos Aires province 40 km (25 mi) away from Bahía Blanca.

See also[link]

• Humid Pampa
• Dry Pampa
• Pampas Republic
• Gaucho
• Médanos wines
• Médanos (dunes)
• Estancia
• Rio Grande do Sul

External links[link]

• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• The Pampas
• Encyclopedia.com
• Climate Impacts
• Centres of Plant Diversity
• Climate Guide to South America
• Humid Pampas (World Wildlife Fund)
• Semi-arid Pampas (World Wildlife Fund)

Coordinates: 35°S 62°W / 35°S 62°W / -35; -62

v t e Subfields of physical geography Biogeography Climatology / Paleoclimatology Coastal geography Edaphology Geomorphology Glaciology Hydrology / Hydrography Landscape ecology Limnology Oceanography Palaeogeography Pedology/Soil science Quaternary science