On Canis azarae Wied, 1824

Abstract

The nomenclature of Canis azarae Wied, 1824 and its recently selected lectotype are discussed. C. azarae has been identified with Lycalopex vetutus (Lund, 1842), type species of the genus Lycalopex, or with the "Agoua-rachay" described by Azara, Dusicyon gymnocercus (Fischer, 1814) in particular and with the South American "zorros de campo" in general. However in 1914, Thomas, without having seen a type, considered C. azarae to be a "zorro de monte" and designed it the type species of the genus Cerdocyon Hamilton Smith. Thomas' opinion seems to be correct and has been adopted by most modern authors who use Wied's name for a subspecies of Cerdocyon thous. Only one specimen of "zorro" belonging to the Wied collection is known, it is preserved in the Leiden Museum and was selected as the lectotype of Canis azarae by Avila Pires in 1965. This specimen however does not agree, with the original description by Wied and is a "zorro de campo" (genus Dusicyon). This is not the specimen described by Wied and it probably arrived in his collection after 1826. Therefore its designation as the lectotype of Canis azarae Wied, 1824, must be considered invalid.