Pseudalopex is the genus name for South American members of the Canidae family. It literally means 'false fox', from the Greek Pseudo and Greek lopex. The common name for the genus is zorro, from the Spanish word for fox. The most numerous species of this genus is probably Pseudalopex griseus, the grey zorro with large ears and highly marketable, russet-fringed pelt.
Species currently included in this genus include:
- Culpeo, Pseudalopex culpaeus
- Grey zorro , Pseudalopex griseus
- Pampas fox , Pseudalopex gymnocercus
- Sechura fox , Pseudalopex sechurae
- Hoary fox , Pseudalopex vetulus, sometimes classified as Lycalopex vetulus
Darwin's zorro is a zorro restricted to a small range in southern coastal Chile. It is either a distinct species, Pseudalopex fulvipes, or a subspecies of Pseudalopex griseus. Locals informed Darwin that this zorro was unique to Chiloë Island , off the coast of Chile, where he captured one in 1831. Debate over its status, either as a species or an insular subspecies , deepened with the recent discovery of a small population on the mainland in Nahuelbuta National Park. Mitochondrial DNA analysis tends to confirm Darwin's supposition.
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