Crab-eating Fox

Cerdocyon thous

A crab-eating fox casually laying on grass (22)

Habitat, Life History, and Geographical Range:

The crab-eating fox is an omnivorous (24) medium sized canid that inhabits a variety of habitats including savannas, open woodlands, anthropic areas and forests that can be at sea level by the coast or at high altitudes (9,23). They have a large distribution that covers a decent portion of South America but are mainly seen throughout Brazil (9), Venezuela to Paraguay, northern Argentina, and Uruguay (23). Unfortunately, ranchers are under the false pretence that crab-eating foxes are attacking their sheep and often victimize them for this misconception (23).

They are similar to the Maned wolf in the way that they are considered nocturnal, being mostly active at night, early in the morning and at dusk (24), but differ in that they have some activity in all of the periods during the day (9).

Crab-eating foxes will mate and form stable couples, spending most of their lives in pairings (10), and produce one to two litters of 3-4 young (28) per year (4,9). The young remain with the parents for several months up to a year, the parents sharing duties protecting and taking care of the young while both defending the territory (4). The pairing will forage and hunt together but not in a cooperative setting, each taking for themselves what they have scavenged (4). The only exception is when the female is pregnant and lactating (4). In this case, the male will provide her the sustenance she needs (4).