# Hoary fox (*Lycalopex vetulus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/hoary-fox  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus), also called the Hoary zorro, Brasilian fox or Small-toothed dog, is a mammal of the family Canidae in the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial and diurnal carnivore with an adult body mass of 4.2 kg, and up to 5.4 kg. Gestation lasts 56 days, litters average 3.5 young with 1.6 litters per year, and sexual maturity comes at 275 days. The IUCN Red List classifies the hoary fox as Near Threatened, which is not a threatened category, and its lifespan is given as 12.6 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4.23 kg – 5.44 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 12.6 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 12.7 years |
| Main food | arthropods |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 55.7 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 3.55 |
| Age at maturity | 9.03 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.63 |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Canidae
- genus: Lycalopex
- species: *Lycalopex vetulus* (Lund, 1842)

Synonyms: *Canis vetulus*, *Dusicyon vetulus*, *Pseudalopex vetulus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the hoary fox?

The hoary fox is a mammal in the family Canidae, order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial animal active by day.

### How heavy is a hoary fox?

An adult Hoary fox weighs 4.2 kg, with the highest value reported by our sources at 5.4 kg.

### What does the hoary fox eat?

The hoary fox is a carnivore.

### How long does a hoary fox live?

The hoary fox has a lifespan of 12.6 years, and up to 12.7 years according to our sources.

### How many young does a hoary fox have?

A hoary fox has 3.5 young per litter on average, with 1.6 litters per year after a gestation of 56 days.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/hoary-fox