Rueppell's fox, Sand fox, Rüppell's sand fox
Rüppell's fox (Vulpes rueppellii ), also called Rüppell's sand fox, is a fox species living in desert and semi-desert regions of North Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008.It is named after the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Rüppell's fox is a species of a fox named after the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell. These are small foxes and males appear somewhat larger than females. The coat is sandy in color, ticked with numerous white hairs, and fading from reddish along the middle of the back to pure white on the underparts and on the tip of the tail. The chin and the sides of the face are white. Rüppell's foxes have fur on the pads on their feet, that possibly helps distribute their weight and move easily on sand; it also keeps the hot sand from burning their feet. Similar to other desert-dwelling foxes, Rüppell's foxes have large ears to cool them off.
Rüppell's foxes live in North Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia. In North Africa, they are found across the south of the Atlas Mountains, from Mauritania and Morocco in the west to Egypt and Djibouti in the east. They also occur in the Arabian Peninsula southwards from Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq, and as far east as Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Within this region, Rüppell's foxes prefer sandy or rocky deserts, but may also be found in semiarid steppes and sparse scrub.
Rüppell's foxes are either crepuscular or nocturnal animals. During the day they shelter in dens that are usually dug under rocks or trees. Outside of the breeding season, their dens are small and can hold only one adult fox, and the animal typically changes dens every five days or so. Breeding dens are larger and occupied by a pair of adults and their kits. Rüppell's foxes have anal scent glands, which they use to greet one another and to spray predators. Females also use their scent glands to mark the cubbing den. Rüppell's foxes occupy distinct territories, which they mark with urine. The territories of the members of a mated pair overlap almost completely but are entirely separate from those of any neighboring pairs. These territories are maintained throughout the year, although the pair occupy separate dens outside of the mating season. The size of the territories varies with the local terrain and the foxes range widely during their nocturnal foraging. Thye may travel over 9 km (5.6 mi) in a night. In order to communicate with each other these animals make a series of short barks during mating and, at other times, can also produce hisses, trills, and sharp whistles. They are also known to wag their tails, like domestic dogs.
Rüppell's foxes are omnivores. They feed on beetles and insects, small mammals, lizards, and birds. Plants eaten include grasses and desert succulents, fruits such as dates, and they have also been known to scavenge from human garbage.
Rüppell's foxes are monogamous and mate for life. They breed in November, a few weeks after the female has prepared her breeding den. Litters up to 6 kits, although more usually just 2 or 3, are born after a gestation period around 52-53 days. The young are born blind and are weaned at 6-8 weeks of age. They reach independence at about 4 months, when they may travel up to 48 km (30 mi) in search of a suitable territory. Rüppell's foxes reach reproductive maturity within the first year after birth.
The main threats to Rüppell's foxes are hunting and poisoning. In some parts of their range, they compete with Red foxes for resources.
According to IUCN, the Rüppell's fox is widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Rüppell's foxes play an important role in the ecosystems they inhabit because they control populations of small rodents and insects they prey on.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...