Vulpes bengalensis (Shaw, 1800)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6331155 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6335055 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03ACCF40-BF17-FFE9-7E8F-FD5DF87FD933 |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Vulpes bengalensis |
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30. View On
Indian Fox
Vulpes bengalensis View in CoL
French: Renard du Bengale / German: Bengalfuchs / Spanish: Zorro bengali
Other common names: Bengal Fox
Taxonomy. Canis bengalensis Shaw, 1800 View in CoL ,
Bengal, India.
Monotypic.
Distribution. Endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Ranges from the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal to the S tip of the Indian peninsula, also in Bangladesh and Pakistan. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 39-57-5 cm for males and 46-48 cm for females, tail 24-7-32 cm for males and 24-5-31-2 cm for females; weight 2:7-3-2 kg for males and over 1-8 kg for females. Mediumsized, with typical vulpine appearance, though smaller than Red Foxes ( V. vulpes ). The pelage varies from yellowish gray to silver gray, but lacks the rusty red hair that is typical of the Red Fox. The dorsal region is darker than the underparts, which are a pale cream. The ears have darker brown hair on the back. The nose and lips are black, and the eyes have dark tear marks. The muzzle is pointed, with tan to black hair around the upper part. The winter coat can be quite luxuriant. The limbs are slender, with some rufous coloring, and the tail is more than half the body length and has a black tip. The tail is carried trailing during normal travel, kept horizontal when the fox is running, and raised to almost vertical when the fox makes sudden turns. Females have three pairs of mammae. The dental formulais13/3,C1/1,PM 4/4, M 2/3 = 42.
Habitat. Prefers semi-arid plains, open scrub and grassland habitats where it can easily hunt and dig dens. Avoids dense forests, steep terrain, tall grasslands, and true deserts. The species is relatively abundant in areas of India where rainfall is low and the typical vegetation is scrub, thorn, or dry deciduous forests, or short grasslands.
Food and Feeding. Indian Foxes are omnivorous, opportunistic feeders. Their diet consists mainly of insects (e.g. crickets, winged termites, grasshoppers, ants, beetle grubs) and spiders, small rodents, including Soft-furred Field Rats ( Millardia meltada ), field mice ( Mus booduga ), and Indian Gerbils, and birds and their eggs, including indian mynahs (Acridotheres tristis), ashy-crowned finch larks (Eremopterix grisea) and gray partridges (Francolinus pondicerianus). Other prey species include ground lizards, rat snakes (Ptyas mucuosus), hedgehogs (Paraechinus nudiventris), and Indian Hares (Lepus naigricollis). Indian Foxes feed on fruits of ber (Ziziphus spp.), neem (Azadirachta indica), mango (Mangifera indica), jambu (Syizigium cumini), banyan (Ficus bengalenss), melons,fruits, and the shoots and pods of Cicer arietum. They have also been reported eating the freshly voided pellets of sheep. They forage alone.
Activity patterns. In most parts of their range Indian Foxes are crepuscular and nocturnal. However, they may also hunt at middayif the temperature is mild, as on rainy days.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The basic social unit is the breeding pair, and pair bonds may last for several years. Larger aggregations may exist when grown pups remain in the natal group for longer than normal. Two lactating females have been observed suckling pups in a single den during one year. Four adult-sized foxes were also observed resting together on two occasions. The common vocalization of the Indian Fox is a chattering cry that seems to have a major role in maintaining territoriality and may also be used as an alarm call. Foxes also growl, whimper, whine, and growl-bark. Indian Foxes scent-mark with droppings and urine.
Breeding. December to January. During the breeding season, the male vocalizes intensively, mostly in early evening and early morning. The gestation period is 50-53 days and parturition occurs between January and March. Littersize is usually 2-4. Both parents bring food to the pups and guard the den, and helpers have not been observed. The parents take turns foraging and rarely is the den left unguarded. Post-natal care lasts approximately 4-5 months, after which the young disperse, usually at the onset of the monsoon (June/July in north-west India), when food is plentiful. Dens are used primarily during the pup-rearing period, and are excavated in open habitat, never in dense vegetation. Indian Foxes will usually excavate their own dens but occasionally they will appropriate and enlarge gerbil holes. Dens consist of a mosaic of tunnels in various stages of excavation, leading to a small chamber about 0-5- 1 m below the surface where the pups are born. A den complex will usually have from two to seven holes, though as many as 43 have been recorded. The holes and tunnels of a well-used den site in Gujarat covered an area 10 x 8 m. Breeding sites are reused by breeding pairs in consecutive years. Pups are rarely moved between dens during the denning period, though once the pups become more mobile, they may use any of the numerous dens within their parents’ territory.
Status and Conservation. CITES not listed. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972) prohibits hunting of all wildlife and lists the Indian Fox in Schedule II. Although the Indian Fox is widespread, it occurs at low densities throughoutits range, and populations can undergo major fluctuations in response to prey availability. Densities of breeding pairs may range from 0-15-0-1/km? during periods of peak rodent abundance to 0-01/km?® during periods of low rodent abundance. In more diverse and stable prey systems, Fox densities are more constant (0-04-0-06/km?®). In protected grasslands such as in Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, Fox density was 1-:6/km?* and in unprotected areas only 0-4/km? in the latter area, the population declined five-fold due to an epidemic in 1995. The Indian Fox population is decreasing, due to loss of short grassland-scrub habitat to intensive agriculture and development projects, although the rate of decline remains unknown. In certain states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, Indian Fox habitat is widespread, with minimal threats, but in other states, like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, habitats are limited and decreasing. In Tamil Nadu, humans are a major mortality factor, especially nomadic tribal people who kill foxes for their flesh, teeth, claws, and skin. People also often block fox dens with stones, and foxes are hunted using smoke, nets and dogs at dens. Indian Foxes are often killed on roads, and major highways in the semi-arid tracts are likely to become barriers to dispersal.
Bibliography. Acharjyo & Misra (1976), Johnsingh (1978), Johnsingh & Jhala (2004), Manakadan & Rahmani (2000), Mitchell (1977), Mivart (1890a), Prakash (1975), Prater (1980), Rahmani (1989), Roberts (1977), Rodgers et al. (2000), Shrestha (1997), Tripathi et al. (1992).
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