Mammals · Carnivora · Canidae

Bengal Fox

Vulpes bengalensis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Indian fox or Bengal fox is a small, slender canid endemic to the Indian subcontinent, with a bushy black-tipped tail that makes up more than half its length. It avoids both true deserts and dense forest, and occupies semi-arid grassland and farmland mosaics. It lives in monogamous pairs that dig complex burrows with several entrances. Its great threat is the conversion of grassland, officially classified as wasteland in India and therefore the first to disappear.

Weight

1.8 kg – 4.1 kg

Size

45 cm – 60 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertGrasslandOmnivore Nocturnal In pairs Desert Grassland Mammal

7countries 16parks34same family

Fun facts

Its habitat, the dry Indian grassland, is officially classified as wasteland in the country's legislation, which has allowed enormous areas to be turned over to crops, industry or plantations without environmental assessment: it is the main cause of its local decline.
It forms monogamous pairs that can last for life and that hunt, dig and raise young together, with the male relieving the female on watch at the burrow.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Semi-arid grassland, thorn scrub and farmland of the Indian subcontinent
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 50 days
Litter / clutch size: 4

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/