Mammals · Carnivora · Canidae

Pale Fox

Vulpes pallida

Least Concern

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

The pale fox is a small canid of the Sahel, the belt of dry savannah that borders the Sahara to the south. It has very pale sandy fur, large ears and a thick tail with a black tip. It is one of the least known African carnivores: it has barely been studied in the field and most of the available data come from isolated observations. It lives in deep burrows that it digs in sandy soil and comes out at night to hunt rodents, reptiles and insects, rounding out its diet with fruit.

Weight

1.5 kg – 3.6 kg

Size

38 cm – 55 cm

Lifespan

10 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

SavannaDesertGrasslandOmnivore Nocturnal In pairs Savanna Desert Grassland Mammal

16countries 10parks34same family

Fun facts

It is one of the least studied African mammals: there is almost no systematic fieldwork on its biology, and much of what is known comes from scattered observations by passing naturalists.
Its burrows are exceptionally deep, with up to fifteen metres of tunnel, an essential refuge in a region where the surface temperature exceeds fifty degrees.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Dry savannah and semi-arid steppe of the Sahel, along the southern edge of the Sahara
Sexual maturity: 10.3 months
Gestation / incubation: 52 days
Litter / clutch size: 4

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