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.
Young are born between February and May. The tibetan foxes are monogamous. Dens are usually
found in grasslands with moderate slopes. Young do not emerge
from the dens until they are several weeks old. Males participate in
pup rearing.
Social behavior: they are mainly solitary, although they can be seen
in family groups of a mated pair with young. Mated pairs remain together and may also hunt together.
Diet and interaction with the environment
They are foraging specialists, preying predominantly on pikas, but also rodents, other small mammals, lizards, insects, berries and carrion. Main predators: feral dogs, gray wolf, raptors.
The tibetan foxes are crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk, although can be seen at any time of the day. They spend considerable time resting in small burrows, hollows and rock crevices; there may be 1 to 4 entrances to a den. They may form commensal relationships with brown bears during hunts for pikas, in which they capture pikas excavated but not captured by bears. Also reported to scavenge on wolf kills.
They are not territorial, and many pairs have been found living in close quarters and sharing hunting grounds. They often deposit their droppings in conspicuous places. Vocalizations consist of short yips to communicate over short distances; no long-distance communication is known.
Habitat:
They are native to China, northern India, Nepal and Bhutan. Found in the steppes
and semi-deserts of the Tibetan Plateau from the Ladakh area of
India, east across China including parts of Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and
Sichuan Provinces and all of Tibet, and into Yunnan, in the Mustang
area north of the Himalaya. There are no confirmed recent records for
Bhutan, meanwhile there is a confirmed record from Sikkim.
Their habitat consists in upland plains and hills, sparse grasslands devoid of trees
and shrubs, up to 5,200m, most typically above 3,500m. Rarely
encountered where pikas are absent. It primarily inhabits semi-arid to arid grasslands, well away from humans or from heavy vegetation cover. It lives in upland plains and hills from 3,500 to 5,200 m (11,500 to 17,100 ft) elevation, and has occasionally been sighted at elevations of around 2,500 m.
Conservation status: Least Concern. Regionally are endangered in China.
Estimated population of 10,000. There are no major threats,
although habitat loss and poisoning of pikas across much of the
Tibetan Plateau may damage Tibetan Fox populations. They are
hunted for pelts, which are manufactured into hats in Tibet. They are legally
protected in several large Chinese reserves as Arjin Shan, Xianza,
Chang Tang, Kekexili, and Sanjiangyuan.
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:
Monotypic. Includes ekloni. Similar species: Corsac Fox (Vulpes corsac), which is closely related to, and sympatric in northern parts of its
range. It has a black-tipped tail, with russet-gray pelage, and a white
chin. Tibetan red fox (Vulpes vulpes montana) is similar in size, but longer legged, slenderer, has
longer, sharply pointed ears, lacks the distinct line along the midflank
that separates gray from russet color, and the gray to black bands
running vertically between the russet forelegs and white chest.
