Bengal fox

Bengal fox
Female at den site in the Little Rann of Kutch
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Vulpes
Species: V. bengalensis
Binomial name
Vulpes bengalensis
(Shaw, 1800)
Range map
Synonyms

Canis kokree
Canis rufescens
Canis indicus
Vulpes xanthura

The Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis), also known as the Indian fox, is a fox endemic to the Indian subcontinent and is found from the Himalayan foothills and Terai of Nepal through southern India[2] and from southern and eastern Pakistan to eastern India and southeastern Bangladesh.[3][4][5]

Appearance

Skull

Vulpes bengalensis is a relatively small fox with an elongated muzzle, long, pointed ears, and a bushy tail about 50 to 60% of the length of the head and body. Its dorsal pelage is very variable, but mostly grayish and paler ventrally; its legs tend to be brownish or rufous. It is more daintily built than Vulpes vulpes.[6] The tail is bushy with a prominent black tip which distinguishes it from V. vulpes. Back of ears are dark brown with black margin. Its rhinarium is naked and the lips are black, with small black hair patches on upper part of nuzzle (shaft) in front of eyes. The ears have the same colour as the nape or maybe darker, but not having a dark patch as in V. vulpes. Extensive variation in coat colour exists across populations and seasonally within populations, but generally varies from grey to pale brown. The head and body length is 18 in (46 cm), with a 10 in (25 cm) long tail. Typical weight is 5 to 9 pounds (2.3 to 4.1 kg).[3]

The genus Vulpes can be separated from Canis and Cuon in the Indian region by the flat forehead between the postorbital processes and not inflated by air cells. The processes themselves are slightly concave with a raised anterior edge (convexly round in other canids). The canine teeth are longer.[7]

Bengal fox at Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, India
Bengal fox in its habitat - Little Rann of Kutch

Distribution

The species is found throughout much of the Indian subcontinent with the exception of the wet forests and the extreme arid zone. The distribution is bounded by the Himalayan range and the Indus River valley. The preferred habitat is short open grassland, scrub or thorn forest. They appear to avoid steep terrain, tall grassland.[3] Indian foxes were considered to be habitat generalists, but recent studies have shown a strong preference for semiarid, short grassland habitats at multiple scales.[8]

Behaviour and ecology

Bengal fox pelt

Bengal foxes are mainly crepuscular in their habits. During the heat of the day, they hide under vegetation or in subterranean dens that they dig. The dens are large and complex with multiple chambers and escape routes. They are sometimes seen basking at a vantage point around sunrise or sunset.[9] In captivity, the lifespan is about 6 to 8 years.[3]

Diet

The Bengal fox feeds on rodents, reptiles, crabs, termites, insects, small birds, and fruits.[10] Scats of young pups appeared to show that they fed mainly on rodents[11] but are opportunistic feeders.[9]

Bengal fox

Communication

Foxes make a wide range of vocalizations. A chattering cry is the most common call. They also growl, whine, whimper, and bark. The Bengal fox does not appear to have latrine behaviour, a feature seen in some social canids, in which all members defecate at specific spots.[9]

Reproduction

The Bengal fox forms pair bonds that may last a lifetime, but extra-pair copulations are known to occur. Throughout most of its range, the mating season starts in autumn (usually October–November) and after a gestation period around 50–60 days, two to four pups are born in a den. Both parents participate in pup-rearing. The pups are fully weaned about 3–4 months after emerging from the den. Pup mortality is high during the first few months.[12] Pups may sometimes be nursed by multiple females.[9] During the day, they tend to rest under shrubs and bushes, except in summer when they rest in dens.

Threats

Lack of habitat protection is perhaps the greatest threat to the Indian fox. For example, in southern India, less than 2% of potential Indian fox habitat is covered under the existing protected area network of the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh .[13] Hunting for its skin and flesh, as well as conversion of its grassland habitat to agriculture, industry, and increasingly bio-fuel plantations, have affected its population density. In addition, its body parts are used in traditional medicine, and in some areas it is eaten. They are hunted by the narikuruva tribes of southern India.[9] In Karnataka, they are captured in rituals conducted during Sankranthi.[3] Another major threat is disease such as canine distemper virus and rabies, which spills over from the large unvaccinated populations of free-ranging dogs found throughout their range.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Johnsingh, A.J.T. & Jhala, Y.V. (2008). "Vulpes bengalensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 2006-05-11.
  2. ↑ Vanak, A.T. (2005). "Distribution and status of the Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis in southern India" (PDF). Canid News. 8 (1).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Gompper, ME & A.T. Vanak (2006). "Vulpes bengalensis" (PDF). Mammalian Species. 795: 1–5. doi:10.1644/795.1.
  4. ↑ Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  5. ↑ Mivart, St George (1890). "Dogs, jackals, wolves and foxes: A monograph of the Canidae". R H Porter, London: 126–131.
  6. ↑ Menon, Vivek (2009). Mammals of India. Princeton Field Guides. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-14067-4.
  7. ↑ Pocock RI (1937). "The foxes of British India". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 39 (1): 36–57.
  8. ↑ Vanak, A.T. & Gompper, M.E. (2010). "Multiscale resource selection and spatial ecology of the Indian fox in a human-dominated dry grassland ecosystem". Journal of Zoology. 281 (2): 140–148. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2010.00690.x.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Johnsingh, A.J.T. (1978). "Some aspects of the ecology and behaviour of the Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis Shaw.". J.Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 75: 397–405.
  10. ↑ Vanak AT & Gompper ME (2009). "Dietary niche separation between sympatric free-ranging dogs and Indian foxes in central India". J. Mamm. 90 (5): 1058–1065. doi:10.1644/09-mamm-a-107.1.
  11. ↑ Manakadan, R & A R Rahmani (2000). "Population and ecology of the Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis at Rollapadu wildlife sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 97 (1): 3–14.
  12. ↑ Vanak, A.T. & Gompper, M.E. (2007). "Effectiveness of non-invasive techniques for surveying activity and habitat use of the Bengal fox Vulpes bengalensis in southern India". Wildlife Biology. 13: 219–224. doi:10.2981/0909-6396(2007)13[219:eontfs]2.0.co;2.
  13. ↑ Vanak, A.T.; Irfan-Ullah, M. & Peterson, T. (2008). "Gap analysis of Indian fox conservation using ecological niche modeling". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 105 (1): 49–54.
  14. ↑ Vanak, A.T., Belsare, A.V. & Gompper, M.E. (2007) Survey of Disease Prevalence in Free‐Ranging Domestic Dogs and Possible Spillover Risk for Wildlife. Unpublished Conference poster. PDF

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