THE TIBETAN FOX
The Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata), also known as the Tibetan sand fox, is a species of true fox endemic to the high Tibetan Plateau and Ladakh plateau (Nepal, China, northern India and Bhutan) up to elevations of about 5,300 m (17,400 ft), making them the canid species with the higher elevation range, and one of the mammals overall as well.
Is a small-sized canid, with a conspicuously narrow and long muzzle and a rather square head. Pelage is soft and thick, pale gray or sandy, with a tan to rufous band along the dorsum. Muzzle, crown and neck are reddish. Underparts are white. Vertical gray to black bands between the forelegs and chest.
Ears are small, white inside, tan outside. They have a distinctive elongated muzzle. Forelegs are russet, tail is bushy, mostly gray, with a dark streak near the base in the supracaudal gland, and a white tip. Among the true foxes, its skull is the most specialised in the direction of carnivory; it is longer in length, and in mandible and cheek tooth length, than those of other foxes. Its cranial region is shorter and the arches narrower. Its jaws are also much narrower, and the forehead concave. Its canine teeth are also much longer than those of hill foxes.
About the species
Reproduction and behavior
- Gestation: 50-55 days.
- Young per birth: 2-5.
- Weaning: the weaning and sexual maturity are unknown.
- Life span: between 8 and 10 years.
- Breeding season: From December to March.
Diet and interaction with the environment
Habitat:
Physiognomic information:
- Body length: 51-72cm (♂), 49-66 cm (♀).
- Tail length: 21-47 cm
- Height: 27-35 cm
- Weight: from 4.4 kg to 5.7 kg (♂) and 3.6 kg to 4.1 kg (♀).
Taxonomy:
Sources:
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)