Tibetan fox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tibetan fox |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Genus: | Vulpes |
| Species: |
V. ferrilata
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| Binomial name | |
| Vulpes ferrilata Hodgson, 1842
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| Tibetan fox range | |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Tibetan fox (scientific name: Vulpes ferrilata), also known as the Tibetan sand fox, is a special type of fox that lives only in the high Tibetan Plateau. You can find it in countries like Nepal, China, Bhutan, and parts of India (specifically Ladakh and Sikkim). These foxes live in very high places, sometimes up to 5,300 meters (about 17,400 feet) above sea level! Because they are found over a wide area in the steppes and semi-deserts of the Tibetan Plateau, experts consider them to be of "Least Concern" for extinction. This means their population is currently stable.
Contents
Meet the Tibetan Fox
This unique fox has a soft, thick coat that is reddish-brown on its head, neck, back, and lower legs. Its face is narrow, and its cheeks, sides, upper legs, and rump are grey. It has a bushy tail with a white tip. The Tibetan fox's short ears are tan or grayish-tan on the back, with white insides. Adult Tibetan foxes are usually about 60 to 70 centimeters (24 to 28 inches) long, not counting their tail. Their tails add another 29 to 40 centimeters (11 to 16 inches) to their length. These foxes typically weigh between 4 and 5.5 kilograms (9 to 12 pounds).
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Built for Hunting
The Tibetan fox has a skull that is very well-suited for hunting. Its jaws are strong and narrow, and its teeth, especially its canine teeth, are longer than those of other foxes living in hills. This helps them catch and hold onto their prey effectively.
Where Tibetan Foxes Live
Tibetan foxes live only on the Tibetan Plateau in western China, and in the Ladakh plateau and Sikkim region of India. They are found north of the Himalayas, in the border areas of Nepal and India. They also live across Tibet and in several Chinese provinces, including Qinghai, Gansu, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and Sichuan. These foxes prefer dry or semi-dry grasslands, far away from people or thick forests. They make their homes in high plains and hills, usually between 3,500 and 5,200 meters (about 11,500 to 17,000 feet) high. Sometimes, they are seen at lower elevations around 2,500 meters (about 8,200 feet).
Life and Habits of the Tibetan Fox
What They Eat
The main food for the Tibetan fox is a small animal called the plateau pika. They also hunt other small creatures like rodents, marmots, woolly hares, rabbits, small ground birds, and lizards. Sometimes, they will eat the remains of larger animals like Tibetan antelopes, musk deer, blue sheep, and even farm animals. Tibetan foxes usually hunt alone during the day. This is because their favorite meal, the pika, is also active during the day.
Teamwork with Bears
Interestingly, Tibetan foxes sometimes work with brown bears when hunting pikas! The bears are very good at digging pikas out of their burrows. As the pikas try to escape the digging bears, the clever foxes are ready to snatch them up. This is a type of teamwork where one animal benefits without harming the other.
Family Life and Reproduction
Tibetan foxes often stay with their mate, and sometimes they even hunt together. After about 50 to 60 days, the mother fox gives birth to two to four young pups. These pups are born in a den and stay with their parents until they are about eight to ten months old. Their dens are usually built at the bottom of large rocks, along old riverbeds, or on gentle slopes. A den might have up to four entrances, each about 25 to 35 centimeters (10 to 14 inches) wide.
See also
In Spanish: Zorro tibetano para niños
Images for kids
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Side view of a Tibetan fox skull
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Top view of a Tibetan fox skull
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Front view of a Tibetan fox skull
 | Janet Taylor Pickett |
 | Synthia Saint James |
 | Howardena Pindell |
 | Faith Ringgold |
