Blanford's Fox
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| Vulpes cana (Blanford, 1877) |
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 Range of Blanford's Fox
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The Blanford's Fox (Vulpes cana), is a small fox found in certain regions of the Middle East.
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[edit] Other Names
Afghan fox, corsac, dog fox, hoary fox, and steppe fox. This can be confusing because other species are known as the corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) and the hoary fox (Pseudalopex vetulus).
[edit] Distribution and Habitat
The Blanford's fox inhabits semi-arid regions, steppes and mountains of Afghanistan, Egypt (Sinaï), Turkestan, northeast Iran, Baluchistan, Palestine and Israel. It may also live throughout Arabia (Oman, Yemen, Jordan, and west Saudi Arabia), as one was trapped in Dhofar, Oman in 1984.
[edit] Appearance
Like all desert foxes, the Blanford's fox has large ears which enables it to dissipate heat. However, unlike other desert foxes, it does not have pads covered with hair, which would otherwise protect its paws from hot sand. Its tail is almost equal in length to its body. Its coat is light tan, with white underparts and a black tip on the tail.
Shoulder height: 12 in. (30 cm)
Head and body length: 17 in. (42 cm)
Tail length: 12 in. (30 cm)
Weight: 3-6.5 lb. (1.5-3 kg)
[edit] Diet
Omnivorous, and more frugivorous than other foxes. It prefers seedless grapes, ripe melons and Russian chives when consuming domestic crops. In addition, it eats insects.
[edit] Reproduction
Time of mating: December-January.
Gestation period: 50-60 days.
Litter size: 1-3 kits.
Lactation: 60 days.
Age at sexual maturity: 8-12 months.
Longevity: Generally 4-5 years, but reported to live up to 10 years.
[edit] References
- Abu Baker, M. A. et al., (2004). On the Current Status and Distribution of Blanford's Fox, Vulpes cana Blanford, 1877, in Jordan (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae). Turk. J. Zool., 28: 1-6.
- Geffen, E., R. Hefner, D. W. Macdonald and M. Ucko, (1992). Habitat selection and home range in the Blanford's fox, Vulpes cana: compatibility with the Resource Dispersion Hypothesis. Oecologia 91: 75-81.
- Geffen, E., (1994). Blanford's fox, Vulpes cana. Mammalian Species, 462:1-4.
- Geffen et al (2004). Vulpes cana. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
- Stuart, C.T. and Stuart, T., (1995). Canids in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula. Canid News 3:30-32.
[edit] External links
