Where does the fox stay? First camera trap records of the threatened hoary fox Lycalopex vetulus (Carnivora, Canidae) in a xeric habitat of a neotropical dry forest–savanna ecotone

• Published in: Mammal research 2022, Vol.67 (1), p.131-136
• Main Authors: Marinho, Paulo Henrique, de Araújo, Fernanda Reis, Grangeiro, Raissa Praxedes, de Azevedo, Fernanda Cavalcanti, Lemos, Frederico Gemesio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Ecology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Climate change; Conservation status; Dry forests; Ecotones; Evolutionary Biology; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Forests; Habitat utilization; Habitats; Life Sciences; Lycalopex vetulus; Savannahs; Short Communication; Zoology
• ISSN: 2199-2401; 2199-241X
• DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00606-2

The hoary fox Lycalopex vetulus is the only wild canid endemic to Brazil, occurring mainly in open and mesic habitats of the Cerrado savanna and its ecotones. Here, we report the first photographic records of L. vetulus in a xeric habitat of a Caatinga dry forest–Cerrado savanna ecotone. We obtained four registers in the 2019 dry season through camera trapping in an area predominantly covered by xeric physiognomy classified as Cerrado biome but closely related to the Caatinga domain in Caetité municipality, northeastern Brazil. These records extend to approximately 100 km east of the known distributional range of L. vetulus and suggest that it may be found in xeric environments of heterogeneous landscapes along savanna and dry forest ecotones, adding new insight into its natural history and distributional range. It is still not clear whether L. vetulus can be considered resident or transient in the study site. Researches in semiarid areas as presented here should help understand the patterns of habitat use, distribution, and conservation status of the hoary fox, which is paramount considering the species’ vulnerability to climate change.