animal that has long been hunted for its pelt. The foxes sometimes go near human habitations in search of food such as chickens and sheep, but tend to avoid areas visited by dogs. They are useful in their role as scavengers of carrion and as dispersers of the seeds of the fruit they eat. Country Where their ranges overlap, the South American gray fox is in competition with the larger culpeo fox. The former consumes a greater proportion of rodents, and arthropods make a significant portion of its diet, while the culpeo tends to consume larger prey, including the non-native European hare which has been introduced into Chile. These prey animals are partitioned between these two species, with the gray fox being excluded from the best prey territories by the larger culpeo. References External links South American gray fox Mammals of the Andes Mammals of Patagonia Mammals of Paraguay Mammals of Brazil Mammals of Chile Mammals of Argentina Mammals of Peru Mammals of Bolivia Least concern biota of South America South American gray fox Taxa named by John Edward Gray