NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
South American Gray Fox
Lycalopex griseus (Gray, 1837)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
South American grey fox (Lycalopex griseus), beside RN40, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus), also known as the Patagonian fox, the chilla or zorro gris (gray fox or gray zorro), is a South American species of Lycalopex (the "false" or lesser foxes) in the Canidae family, which includes dogs, wolves, jackals, coyotes and foxes, among other canids. It is endemic to the southern parts of Argentina and Chile, primarily Patagonia.
Wikipedia contributors, South American gray fox; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:34:01.376382+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Lycalopex griseus (Gray, 1837)
- Name authority
- (Gray, 1837)
- Common name
- South American Gray Fox
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Canidae
- Genus
- Lycalopex
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderCarnivora Bowdich, 1821
- suborderCaniformia Kretzoi, 1938
- familyCanidae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817
- genusLycalopex Burmeister, 1854
- speciesLycalopex griseus (Gray, 1837)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Lycalopex. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| CulpeoLycalopex culpaeus (Molina, 1782) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Darwin's FoxLycalopex fulvipes (Martin, 1837) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sechuran FoxLycalopex sechurae (Thomas, 1900) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hoary FoxLycalopex vetulus (Lund, 1842) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Lycalopex gymnocercus gracilis (Burmeister, 1861) (Burmeister, 1861) | synonym |
| Lycalopex gymnocercus maullinicus (Philippi, 1903) (Philippi, 1903) | synonym |
| Pseudalopex griseus griseus (Gray, 1837) (Gray, 1837) | synonym |
| Pseudalopex griseus domeykoanus (Philippi, 1901) (Philippi, 1901) | synonym |
| Pseudalopex griseus maullinicus (Philippi, 1903) (Philippi, 1903) | synonym |
| Pseudalopex griseus (Gray, 1837) (Gray, 1837) | synonym |
| Lycalopex gymnocercus domeykoanus (Philippi, 1901) (Philippi, 1901) | synonym |
| Vulpes griseus Gray, 1837 Gray, 1837 | synonym |
| Pseudalopex griseus gracilis (Burmeister, 1861) (Burmeister, 1861) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=726272 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3WJ95. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.