This fox inhabits a narrow region west of the Andes Mountains running along the coastline of Peru and southern Ecuador.

Through the rapid radiation of South American canids,[5] the Sechuran fox has evolved some traits that have possibly lent themselves to the species' survival, and which aid in distinguishing them from other members of this genus.

[5] The main threats to this species currently are anthropogenic; largely habitat destruction through deforestation, and hunting (though to a smaller extent).

[9] First identified in the Sechura Desert, the fox inhabits arid environments in southwestern Ecuador and western Peru, at elevations from sea level to at least 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and possibly much higher.

While more studies are required to understand the complete lineage of this species, it has been proposed that the most recent ancestor of the Lycalopex genus was Dusicyon australis (or the Falkland Islands wolf) which went extinct in 1876.

Details of this recent diversification are not well understood, perhaps the biggest unknown being how many invasive ancestor canid species migrated into South America.

However, it is accepted that this occurred during the Great American Biotic Interchange in the Miocene era, via the Panamanian land bridge.

The ancestor to the Lycalopex genus is believed to be the Falkland Islands wolf (Dusicyon australis)[12] around 1.4-0.81 million years ago.

It has been suggested in multiple studies that during this period, and into the early Holocene era, there was considerable contraction and expansion of glaciers that resulted in significant shifts in climate of and around the Andes mountains,[12] which was and is still a key driver of speciation.

[6] Additionally, the Sechuran fox's genome exhibits a substantially low degree of autosomal heterozygosity, or genetic variability, especially in contrast with many other South American canids both within and outside of its genus.

[citation needed] The Sechuran fox is nocturnal, and spends the daylight hours in a den dug into the ground.

It has been found to feed on seed pods, especially those of the shrub Prosopis juliflora and of caper bushes, as well as the fruit of Cordia and mito plants, and is capable of surviving on an entirely herbivorous diet when necessary.

[8] Sechuran fox can disperse as many plant species as other more specialized dispensers, such as phyllostomid bat and white-tailed deer.