| Cape fox[1] | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Genus: | Vulpes |
| Species: | V. chama |
| Binomial name | |
| Vulpes chama (A Smith, 1833) |
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| Cape fox range | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Cape fox (Vulpes chama), also called the cama fox or the silver-backed fox, is a small fox.
It has black or silver gray fur with flanks and underside in light yellow. The tip of its tail is always black.
The Cape fox tend to be 45 to 61 cm (17.7-24 inches) long, not including a 30 to 40 cm (11.8-15.75 inch) tail. It is 28 to 33 cm (11-13 inch) tall at the shoulder, and usually weighs from 3.6 to 5 kg (8-11 lbs).
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It inhabits mainly open country, from open grassland plains with scattered thickets to semi-desert scrub, and also extending into fynbos. It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa, occurring in most parts of the Western and Northern Cape provinces, the Eastern Cape (excluding the south-eastern side) the Free State, western and north-western KwaZulu-Natal and the North-West province. It also occurs in Lesotho, a high mountainous region.
The Cape fox is nocturnal and it is mainly active at night and is most active just before dawn or after dusk; it can be spotted during the early mornings and early evenings. During the day it typically shelters in burrows underground, holes, hollows, or dense thickets, and it is an active digger that will excavate its own borrow, although it generally modifies an abandoned borrow of another species, such as a Springhare's burrow, to its specific requirements. They are solitary creatures, and although they form mated pairs the males and females are often found alone as they tend to forage separately and are seldom seen together. They are not territorial, however they will mark their territory with a pungent scent. Although it is a normally silent fox, the Cape fox is known to communicate with soft calls, whines or chirps. However, they will warn with a loud bark whenever alarmed. When aggressive, the Cape fox is known to growl and spit at its attacker. To show its excitement, the fox lifts its tail, and by which the higher the height of the tail lift often indicates the measure of excitement in the fox.
The Cape fox is an omnivorous animal, meaning that they will eat plants or animals. Although they prefer mainly invertebrates and small mammals such as rodents, they are opportunists and have hunted and eaten reptiles, rabbits, spiders, birds, and young hares. They will also eat eggs, beetle larvea, and carrion, as well as most insects or fruits. And when pushed, they have been able to kill newborn lambs up to three months of age, although this is a very rare occasion and has little impact.
As for the Cape fox, and typical of most Canid species, they will mate for life. The Cape fox, however, is capable of breeding all year long, unlike the red fox, although they do typically have offspring in the months of October, November, December, or January. From conception, the female Cape fox has a gestation period of 51 to 53 days, and she gives birth to a litter size of 1 to 6 cubs (or kits). Reared underground in burrows, the cubs will stay close to the den until they are about 4 months old. Weaned at around 6 to 8 weeks of age, they don't begin to forage until they are 4 months of age, and they are usually dependent by the time they are 5 months of age, at which time they will disperse, typically in the months of June or July. Initially, they typically weigh from 50 to 100 grams (1.7 - 3.5 ounces) at birth, and both parents will care for the young, with the male even providing for the female for the first two weeks. A family group usually only consists of the parents and their offspring, but different family groups sometimes mix together during feeding. Multiple litters are possible, and have been observed; the female usually chases out the cubs from her litter, though, when she is expecting another litter. They are fully grown in about a year, with both the female and the male reaching sexual maturity at 9 months. The Cape fox has a life expectancy of about 6 years, but it can live up to 10 years.
The Cape fox is thought to help regulate populations of small mammals. Predators of the Cape fox include large raptors, such as Eagles and Owls, a well as Caracal, Leopards, Hyenas, and Lions. They often succumb to diseases such as rabies and distemper, although lately they have become the victims of traps set out for problem animals. A large number of Cape fox are killed on the road by vehicles, however many are hunted and persecuted as vermin, although modern farmers are better informed. Some are falsely mistaken as jackals and are accused of taking farmers' livestocks, and approximately 2,500 are killed yearly, although it is only about 16% of the total Cape fox population. Even with the threats they face, the Cape fox is not regarded as a threatened species.