Raposinha-do-campo (Portuguese for "meadow fox"), Hoary zorro
The Hoary fox is a species of South American fox or "false" fox native to Brazil. These animals have a short muzzle, small teeth, a short coat, and slender limbs. The upper part of their 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. Being slender and small in size, Hoary foxes makes are very agile and fast-running animals and their relatively weak teeth adapt them to feeding on invertebrates, rather than larger prey.
Hoary foxes are found in south-central Brazil. They usually live in the cerrado (tropical savanna of Brazil), where open woodlands, bushlands, and smooth or scattered savannahs with trees occur.
Hoary foxes are nocturnal, and largely solitary outside of the breeding season. They have widely varying home ranges, depending on the local environment. As dens, these animals usually use armadillo burrows.
Hoary foxes are omnivorous animals. They mainly eat insects, especially termites and dung beetles, but also may eat rodents, small birds, and fruit.
Hoary foxes are monogamous. This means that both males and females have only one partner. Females usually give birth to 2 to 4 kits in August to September, after a gestation period around 50 days. The female prepares a den in which to give birth, sometimes using the burrows of other animals. Both parents participate in the rearing of the kits which are usually weaned at around 4 months of age.
There are no major threats to Hoary foxes at present. The habitat of these animals is destroying for agriculture (livestock and soybean) but luckily, they adapt to livestock pasture because it is rich in termites and dung beetles.
According to IUCN, the Hoary fox is abundant and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Due to their insectivorous diet, these animals affect populations of small rodents and termites.
