Fuegian dog (SciiFii)

The Fuegian dog (Lycalopex culpaeus domestica), also known as the domestic culpeo, the domestic zorro, and the domestic Andean fox, is a domesticated subspecies of culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), not a domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris or Canis familiaris) despite being called Fuegian dog, that originated from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The Fuegian dog was once extinct since the late 19th century, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii due to demands for more kinds of pets people want to keep. The Fuegian dog, like wild culpeos, is similar in build to true foxes (tribe Vulpini) but is actually more closely related to wolves and jackals, being placed in a separate genus within the South American foxes or zorros. Fuegian dogs have erect ears, sharp snout and a thick tail and are tawny-colored or entirely white. It is similar in size to the wild culpeo, which often weighs 5 to 13.5 kg (11 to 30 lb), or roughly the size of a Shetland Sheepdog. Gauchos call these foxes "maned dogs" because of their resemblance to the maned wolf. The Fuegian dogs were originally bred to, not hunt guanacos, but may have been used to hunt otters, and were, and still are, useful to humans in that they gather around their owners to keep them warm. The Fuegian dogs of today, unlike the original Fuegian dogs, are mostly friendly and loyal to their owners, being bred to not hunt any domesticated animals nor attack people, as a result of further domestication of the Fuegian dogs.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii