Frugivory by the Crab‐Eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous) and Its Seed Dispersal Potential: A Review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite strong evidence supporting the role of canids as seed dispersers in the Neotropics, they have often been overlooked in seed dispersal studies. The crab‐eating fox ( Cerdocyon thous ) stands out as a key species due to its frequent fruit consumption, generalist habitat use, and wide geographic range. This review evaluates current knowledge of C. thous frugivory and seed dispersal, identifying the most frequently consumed fruit species and assessing dispersal performance. We conducted a literature review, compiling data from 37 studies on dietary composition, fruit consumption, and seed dispersal performance across C. thous geographical distribution. Most studies were conducted in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Pampa. Fruits are frequent in C. thous diet (mean Frequency of Occurrence = 62.3% ± 33.1%, n = 29 studies), with 128 fruit species recorded from 81 genera and 43 families. The most frequently consumed species include Syagrus romanzoffiana , Hovenia dulcis , Psidium guajava , and Solanum lycocarpum . Consumed fruits and seeds range widely in size (4.0–296.0 mm and 0.5–125.0 mm in width, respectively). C. thous is a legitimate disperser: Seeds are defecated intact, remain viable post‐ingestion, and gut‐passage has neutral effects on germination. It disperses large seeds, such as S. romanzoffiana and Artocarpus heterophyllus , and tends to defecate in open areas, favouring long‐distance dispersal. These features suggest that C. thous plays a key ecological role, especially in disturbed habitats lacking larger dispersers.