Vulpes cana the Blanford's fox

Vulpes cana the Blanford's fox

Figure 1: Blandford’s fox (Vulpes cana)

The Blandford’s fox (Vulpes cana) is a small desert fox that evolved 4 – 4.5 million years ago (Macdonald, 2009). It can be found in the mountainous regions of the Israeli and Arabian Peninsula to Afghanistan and Pakistan with an isolated population in Eastern Egypt with an expected population throughout Saudi Arabia (Figure 2) (Macdonald, 2009; Kingdon, 1997).

This fox has developed catlike claws for a cliff-dwelling lifestyle (Macdonald, 2009), giving them an advantage in this type of habitat. V. cana also has developed a dense fur coat that suggests an adaptation to cold temperatures (temperatures can be a low as 6⁰C in Eastern Egypt). The volume of fur in the tail is almost equal to that on the body (Kingdon, 1997), which could act as a possible decoy against larger predators.

Individuals found in Israel are strictly nocturnal (Geffen, 1994). Geffen and Macdonald (1992) hypothesized that this activity pattern is an “anti-predator response to diurnal raptors”, such as hawks and eagles.

Blanford's foxes are mainly insectivorous and "frugivorous", meaning ‘fruit eater’ (Geffen et al., 1992). Their diet also includes small vertebrates (Kingdon, 1997), such as frogs and small lizards. All of which can be found in the mountainous regions, in which this fox inhabits. Suggesting that the Blanford’s fox has adapted its diet to best suit the opportunity for food in the surrounding environment. These are some simple adaptions that the Blandford’s fox has that give the individuals of this species the best possible chance of survival in its surrounding environmental conditions.