Vulpes ferrilata Hodgson, 1842

Common Name and Dorsal Coat

Vulpes ferrilata, commonly known as the Tibetan fox, has a soft, dense rufous coat that covers its crown, neck, back, and lower legs.

Facial and Lateral Markings

It has a narrow muzzle; grey fur on its cheeks, flanks, upper legs, and rumps; and a bushy tail with a white tip.

Ear Coloration

Its short ears are tan to greyish tan on the outer back, with white fur on the inner ear and underside.

Adult Body Measurements

For adult Tibetan foxes, head-and-body length (excluding the tail) ranges from 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in), tail length ranges from 29 to 40 cm (11 to 16 in), and adult body weight typically falls between 4 and 5.5 kg (8.8 to 12.1 lb).

Skull Specialization

Among true foxes, the Tibetan fox has the most specialized skull for a carnivorous diet.

Skull Morphology Comparison

Compared to hill foxes, the Tibetan fox has a longer condylobasal skull length, longer mandible and longer cheek teeth, a shorter cranial region, narrower zygomatic arches, much narrower jaws, a concave forehead, and much longer canine teeth.

Core Geographic Range

The Tibetan fox is limited to the Tibetan Plateau in western China, and the Ladakh plateau and Sikkim in India.

Extended Distribution

It is found north of the Himalayas in the northernmost border regions of Nepal and India, across all of Tibet, and in parts of the Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and Sichuan.

Preferred Grassland Habitat

It primarily lives in semi-arid to arid grasslands that are far from human settlements and have little heavy vegetation cover.

Elevation Range

It inhabits upland plains and hills at elevations between 3,500 and 5,200 m (11,500 and 17,100 ft), and has occasionally been spotted at elevations around 2,500 m (8,200 ft).

Active Prey Species

The Tibetan fox's primary prey is plateau pikas; it also hunts rodents, marmots, woolly hares, rabbits, small ground birds, and lizards.

Scavenging Behavior

It will scavenge carcasses of Tibetan antelopes, musk deer, blue sheep, and livestock.

Solitary Hunting Pattern

Tibetan foxes are mostly solitary, and hunt during the daytime because their main prey, pikas, are active during the day.

Commensal Hunting Relationship

Tibetan foxes can form commensal relationships with brown bears when hunting pikas: bears dig pikas out of their burrows, and the foxes catch the pikas when they escape the bears.

Mated Pair Behavior

Mated pairs stay together and may even hunt together.

Reproduction and Gestation

After a gestation period of approximately 50 to 60 days, two to four young are born in a den.

Juvenile Development

The young stay with their parents until they are eight to ten months old.

Burrow Placement

Tibetan fox dig their burrows at the base of boulders, along old beach lines, and on low slopes.

Burrow Structure

Dens may have up to four entrances, and each entrance is between 25 and 35 cm (9.8 and 13.8 in) in diameter.