Sechuran Fox

Description:

Also known as the Peruvian Desert Fox or Sechuran Zorro. This 'near threatened' species is a small delicate canid weighing in between 2.6-4.2 kg (5.7-9.3lbs) with a body length of 50-78cm (20-31") and a tail about half as long again. It has grey, black tipped fur with a pale belly and reddish colouring on the ears, around the eyes and on the legs. The tip of the muzzle is white and a distinctive grey band across the chest.

Habitat:

Generally nocturnal but sometimes seen at each end of the day, this species lives in the arid areas of SW Ecuador and NW Peru from sea level up to at least 1,000m (3,000'). This solitary animal was seen near Tucume in NW Peru. It feeds on the usual fare of small carnivores of insects, rodents and small birds etc but can also exist quite adequately as a vegetarian eating specific seeds, fruits and some plants.

Notes:

The main images show a close daylight encounter. The last image shows the more usual view of the whole creature at night. This is the smallest of the Latin American Zorro's or false foxes. Ref Wikipedia - Sechuran Fox