Which fox species is named after Charles Darwin?

The fox species named after Charles Darwin is Darwin's fox, scientifically known as Lycalopex fulvipes.

Charles Darwin collected the first known specimen on San Pedro Island, near Chiloé in southern Chile, in 1834 during the voyage of HMS Beagle. The small, dark canid was later named in his honour. Although commonly called a fox, it belongs to Lycalopex, a South American canid genus whose members are not true foxes in the genus Vulpes.

Darwin's fox is distinguished by its dark coat, short legs and broad head. For many years, zoologists considered it a subspecies of the South American gray fox. A mainland population discovered in Nahuelbuta National Park in 1990, together with later genetic research, supported its recognition as a distinct species.

The species is endemic to Chile and remains endangered. Its limited habitat is threatened by deforestation, human disturbance and diseases or attacks spread by domestic and feral dogs. It should not be confused with the gray fox, red fox or fennec fox, none of which was named for Darwin.