Grey pampean fox, Pampas zorro, Azara's fox, or Azara's zorro (in Spanish also called Aguará chaí, anglicized as Aguarachay, Graxaim (in Portuguese)
The Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), also known as grey pampean fox, Pampas zorro, Azara's fox, or Azara's zorro (in Spanish also called aguará chaí, anglicized as aguarachay, in Portuguese also called graxaim), is a medium-sized zorro, or "false" fox, native to the South American Pampas. Azara in some of its alternative common names is a reference to Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara.
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. Its short, dense fur 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 fore limbs, and grey on the hind limbs; the lower hind limb also bears a distinctive black spot. Adults range from 51 to 80 cm (20 to 31 in) in body length, and weigh 2.4 to 8.0 kg (5.3 to 17.6 lb); males are about 10% heavier than females.
In the northern part of its range, the Pampas fox is more richly colored than in the southern part.
Pampas foxes live in northern and central Argentina, Uruguay, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. They prefer open pampas (low grasslands) habitats, often close to agricultural land, but can also be found in montane or chaco forest, puna grasslands in mountainous areas, dry scrubland, and wetland habitats.
Pampas foxes mostly live a solitary life, but come together as pairs in the breeding season to raise their young. They are mainly nocturnal, becoming active at dusk, although may sometimes be active during the day. They den in any available cavity, including caves, hollow trees, and the burrows of viscachas or armadillos. Even when raising young together, adult foxes generally hunt alone, marking their territory by defecating at specific latrine sites. Their territories can vary in size but are usually around 260 hectares (640 acres).
Pampas foxes are omnivorous and have a varied and opportunistic diet. Their primary prey consists of birds, rodents, hares, fruit, carrion, and insects, although they also eat lizards, armadillos, snails, and other invertebrates, lambs, and the eggs of ground-nesting birds.
Pampas foxes are monogamous and form pairs. They breed in the early spring. After a gestation period of 55 to 60 days, the female gives birth to a litter of up to 8 kits. The young are born between September and December and are weaned around 2 months of age. The young remain in dens until at least the age of 3 months when they start hunting with their parents. The males bring food to the females who stay in the den with kits. Females become reproductively mature and start to breed in their first year of age.
The main threats to the Pampas fox come from humans hunting them for their fur and to prevent them from attacking livestock. These animals may also suffer from the loss of their natural habitat.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Pampas fox total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.