Crab-eating Fox
Cerdocyon thous
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyCanidae (Canids)
- GenusCerdocyon (Crab Eating Foxes)
- SpeciesCerdocyon thous (Crab-eating Fox)
About the Crab-eating Fox
The crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), also known as the forest dog, wood fox, bushfox (not to be confused with the bush dog) or maikong, is an extant species of medium-sized canid endemic to the central part of South America since at least the Pleistocene epoch. Like South American foxes, which are in the genus Lycalopex, it is not closely related to true foxes. Cerdocyon comes from the Greek words kerdo (meaning fox) and kyon (dog) referring to the dog- and fox-like characteristics of this animal.
The crab-eating fox was originally described as Canis thous by Linnaeus (1766), and first placed in its current genus Cerdocyon by Hamilton-Smith in 1839. Cerdocyonina is a tribe which appeared around 6.0 million years ago (Mya) in North America as Ferrucyon avius becoming extinct by around 1.4–1.3 Mya. living about 4.7 million years. This genus has persisted in South America from an undetermined time, possibly around 3.1 Mya, and continues to the present in the same or a similar form to the crab-eating fox.
As one of the species of the tribe Canini, it is related to the genus Canis. The crab-eating fox's nearest living relative, as theorized at present, is the... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Crab-eating Fox in Yasuní National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Yasuní National Park
Bush Dog
Speothos venaticus
Short-eared Dog
Atelocynus microtis
Giant Otter
Pteronura brasiliensis
Jaguar
Panthera onca
Kinkajou
Potos flavus
Tayra
Eira barbara
South American Coati
Nasua nasua
Neotropical Otter
Lontra longicaudis
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
Crab-eating Raccoon
Procyon cancrivorus
Margay
Leopardus wiedii
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 6 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 11 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 12 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 13 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 14 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 15 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 16 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 17 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 18 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 19 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 20 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 21 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 22 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |