Blandford's Fox

Range and Habitat

The Blanford's fox occurs in the semi-steppe desert and mountainous areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmeania, Israel, Oman, and north-east Iran. Physical Appearance

They have very large ears, which helps it dissipate heat. Their pads are not covered with hair unlike other desert foxes, which have a thick layer of hair to protect their feet from the hot sands. They have a long tail that equals the length of the foxes' body. Its coat is generally light tan in color, with white underparts and black on the tip of its tail, and a black stripe running down the back. Their snout is slender and short. Diet

They eat a lot of fruit such as melons, grapes and olives. They also eat insects, and small mammals such as rodents. Reproduction and Life Cycle

This species forms monogamous pairs. The mating period is from December to January. After a gestation period of two months, 1-3 kits are born in a den. They are weaned at 30-45 days, and are sexually mature by 8 months. Behavior

They are nocturnal and solitary foxes. The male and female of a mated pair maintain minimally overlapping ranges. The male does not seem to have any direct involvement in raising the young. The foxes hunt and forage individually, and spend mose of their time independent of one another. Threats

This species of fox is protected in Israel, but rare elsewhere. It is heavily persecuted for its fur. They are easy to trap because they have no fear of man. References

*     Alderton, David. Foxes, Wolves, and Wild Dogs of the World. Blandford Press: United Kingdom, 1994. *     http://wikitsune.com/index.php?title=Special%3ABooksources&isbn=0713723521 ISBN: 0713723521 *     http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Vulpes_cana.html Animal Diversity Web: Vulpes cana *     http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/23050/all IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Vulpes cana *     http://www.canids.org/species/Vulpes_cana.htm ICUN Canid Specialist Group - Vulpes cana