Culpeo [LC]
Lycalopex culpaeus
[Scientific name]
Khamake
[Aymara]
Culpem
[Mapudungun]
Atoq
[Quechua]
The culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) is a medium-large canid found across much of South America, distributed along the Andes and in hilly regions, from Nariño province of Colombia to Tierra del Fuego. This species was domesticated by the Selkʼnam people of Tierra del Fuego, producing the Fuegian dog, which became extinct in the late 19th century. 83% of their diet comes from mammal meat, reflected in their having the smallest molars of all South American foxes and relatively longer canines for biting and tearing through a diverse range of prey, ranging from rodents and lizards to flamingos and vicuñas.
POPULATION TREND
STABLE
HABITAT & ECOLOGY
Desert • Forest • Grassland • Human modified • Rocky Areas • Savanna • Shrubland