Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

 

Size:  Head to Tail length: 71 cm.

Weight: up to 2.3-4.1 kg.

 

Key Features: It 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. 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.

 

Voice: Foxes make a wide range of vocalizations. A chattering cry is the most common call. They also growl, whine, whimper and bark.

 

Breeding: 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 approximately 50–60 days, two to four pups are born in a den. Both parents participate in pup-rearing. 

 

Diet: feeds on rodents, reptiles, crabs, termites, insects, small birds, and fruits. Scats of young pups appeared to show that they fed mainly on rodents but are opportunistic feeders.

 

Habitat: The preferred habitat is short open grassland, scrub or thorn forest. They appear to avoid steep terrain, tall grassland.

 

Habits: The Bengal fox is mainly crepuscular in its 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.

 

Conservation Status: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

 

Distribution in the GoK: reported along the coast of Gulf of Kachchh.

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Gompper, ME & A.T. Vanak (2006). "Vulpes bengalensis". Mammalian Species 795.

 

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.

 

ohnsingh, 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.

 

Vanak, A.T. and 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.

 

IUCN Red List. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/23049/0

 

Photo Courtesy

A. T. Vanak, Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Indian Fox (Vulpes bengalensis)