South American Fox   

Foxes and wolves among others belong to the Canidae family in the order of Carnivora and are believed to be most related to cats. On the planet exist 34 species of canids with 4 wild species, the Common South America Fox, Bush Dog, Sechura's South America Fox and Short-eared Dog, present in Ecuador. The domestic dog is also very popular in the country. On this page the Common South America Fox or Andean Fox is featured, which is a member of the gray fox family.

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    Canids can be found on all continents except Antarctica and in almost all climactic zones, from the frigid northern Arctic to the tropical equatorial zones. The South American species are descendants of recent migrants from North America having crossed the Panama Land bridge in the last million year or so. Their best senses are smell and hearing which enables it to nocturnal hunting. Foxes also possess good eye sights and are more solitary animals in contrast to the wolves and other canids which hunt and live together in social groups.

 The Andean foxes are solitary and territorial animals, hunting smaller animals like rabbits, mice and moles. They complement their diet with carrion, insects and fruits. They can be observed in the paramo region at nightfall and early morning when they are most active and often run long distances to procure something to eat. The male and female foxes meet in June to pair and then go their separate ways again. The gestation period is around 165 days with a litter of 2 to 6 puppies, which stay with the mother for several months and then move on to their solitary independent life.

The South American Fox is under pressure because of habitat destruction and increased hunting by humans for sport and to sell their hide. Paws and the tail are also bought by people as they are seen as a lucky charm. Nowadays, they only can be observed in the more remote paramo regions surrounding the mighty glaciers of the Ecuadorian Andes. The rare Bush Dog is also seriously endangered by habitat destruction as is the Sechura's Fox.

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