Bengal fox
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Bengal fox ( Vulpes bengalensis ) |
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| Vulpes bengalensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Shaw , 1800) |
The Bengal fox ( Vulpes bengalensis ) is a medium-sized fox endemic to the Indian subcontinent .
Relatively little is known about the animal; detailed scientific studies, especially on its ecology , took place for the first time as part of an Indian-American project from 2005 to 2008. In English it is also known as "Indian fox" ("Indian fox"). The English zoologist George Shaw published the first scientific description in 1800 and classified the species as Canis bengalensis .
description
The fox reaches an average length of 45–60 centimeters, plus 25–35 centimeters for the bushy tail. The body height is 26-28 centimeters, the weight is between 1.8 and 3.2 kilograms (according to other information up to 4 kilograms). The short-haired fur is sand-colored red-brown, slightly lighter underneath, the tip of the tail is black.
Distribution area
The Bengal fox inhabits an area that extends in the north from the southern foothills of the Himalayas , where it rises to an altitude of 1500 meters, and in the south to the tip of the Indian peninsula . It can be found in Nepal , Pakistan , India and Bangladesh . Its typical biotope are the open landscapes of the grass and thorn bush country to semi-deserts . Here the open terrain makes hunting easier and the loose soil is favorable for digging the burrows . He avoids dense forests and real deserts , as well as steep terrain or terrain overgrown with tall grass. Although it has a fairly large range, it is not common anywhere. In India and Pakistan, its population is mainly threatened by recreational hunting, but it is also stalked because of the meat that is used in traditional medicine.
India
He is the most common representative of the foxes in the plains of India. There, however, due to the influence of humans, in particular due to heavy hunting, the stocks have already declined sharply regionally, locally it has already completely disappeared. It seems that populations are only stable in areas where rough, rocky terrain offers the animals refuge. On average, the population density is around one specimen per ten square kilometers . In southern India, less than two percent of the semi-arid grasslands that are preferentially populated but are at the same time ecologically highly threatened are protected areas.
In agricultural areas, the diurnal fox has changed its behavior and moved its phase of activity into the late evening hours.
Pakistan
In Pakistan it can only be found in a few places, for example in the Lahore district and in the Cholistan desert in Punjab . It is also found in Kasur and further south in the Thar desert in the Sindh province and in the Dadu and Thatta districts .
Nepal
There is little information from more recent times about the occurrence in Nepal. A report from 1970 mentions the presence of the animals in the fertile, open fields of the Terai belt, in the forest around Birganj , in the valley of the Rapti , a tributary of the Kali Gandaki , and in the far west of the country.
Bangladesh
Little is known about the occurrence of the Bengal fox in this country.
Way of life
It is assumed that Bengal foxes live in a permanent pair bond ( monogamy ), but there is little evidence for this; the Bengal fox is always seen alone when hunting. So far nothing is known about the mating season of the foxes. The two to four (according to other information three to six) boys are born after a gestation period of about 51 to 53 days. The birth weight is between 50 and 100 grams. It is not known how long the young will be suckled or when sexual maturity will occur. Occasionally the young of the previous litter take part in the rearing of their younger siblings. Bengal foxes can reach an age of over 10 years.
Due to human stalking, the fox has in many places switched to a twilight and nocturnal way of life. When the sky is overcast or when it rains, it also searches for food there during the day.
The fox creates two different types of burrows. In addition to simple buildings for shorter stays, with short tubes and only two entrances, he creates widely branched corridor systems with many entrances. This is also where the young are born. As with many other fox species, the area around the entrances is littered with litter from the residents.
Bengal foxes are opportunistic omnivores with a wide range of food and feed on small animals such as insects and crustaceans as well as on the clutches of ground-breeding birds, reptiles , rodents and other small mammals. In addition, depending on the season, they also eat fruits such as melons or the saplings and pods of the chickpea .
Systematics
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Phylogenetic classification of the genus Vulpes
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The first scientific description of the Bengal fox comes from George Shaw from 1800, who assigned the species to dogs as Canis bengalensis . Today it is classified in the genus Vulpes along with eleven other species . On the basis of morphological and molecular biological data, it was developed by Binninda-Emonds et al. In 1999 classified in a common group with the Cape fox ( V. chama ) and the pale fox ( V. pallida ) and compared to the remaining species of foxes as a sister group .
Apart from the nominate form , no subspecies are distinguished.
Hazards and protective measures
The Bengal fox is primarily threatened by a number of man-made hazards. Many foxes fall victim to intensive, recreational hunting that does not protect pets because they are not approached. He is shot, chased with dogs or the entrances to his burrows are closed with stones. Nomads in the Indian district of Tirunelveli (state of Tamil Nadu ) use self-made explosives, which they coat with animal fat, in order to kill the foxes. The meat serves as food, teeth and claws, the tail and fur are coveted as good luck charms. The trade in such products is only of local importance.
However, the species is also indirectly threatened by the destruction of its habitat. The open terrain she prefers is increasingly being converted into agricultural land or giving way to human settlements. In addition, there is poisoning from the pesticides used in agriculture . Natural population factors such as the strong fluctuations in the population of small rodents, which make up a significant part of the diet, as well as infectious diseases affect the animals.
Since the fox is widespread, it received little attention in terms of species protection and was considered safe for a long time. It was not until the 1990s that it became apparent that its distribution area had become patchy and is often only sparsely populated. As the population size is significantly smaller than assumed and continues to decrease, those responsible seem to need measures to protect the species. Although no separate protected areas have been designated for the Bengal fox so far, it is hoped that the situation will improve in the new reserves that protect the Hindu black horse ( Ardeotis nigriceps ) in the Indian states of Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh , Maharashtra , Rajasthan and Gujarat have been set up or are planned.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the species as “Least Concern”, as an acute threat to the stocks is not assumed. In its area of distribution it lives only in low density and de stocks can be exposed to strong fluctuations depending on the availability of prey. Above all, the loss of habitat due to the conversion of short grass areas into agricultural areas or settlement areas also leads to declines, which, however, are not classified as endangering the survival. The Bengal fox is not listed in the appendices of the Washington Convention on Endangered Species (CITES).
supporting documents
- ↑ a b O.RP Binninda-Emonds, JL Gittleman, A. Purvis: Building large trees by combining phylogenetic information: a complete phylogeny of the extant carnovora (Mammalia). Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 74, 1999; Pp. 143-175.
- ^ Matthew E. Gompper, Abi Tamim Vanak: Vulpes bengalensis . In: Mammalian Species . tape 795 , 2006, pp. 1–4 ( full text (PDF; 525 kB) [accessed April 1, 2013]). Full text ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Vulpes chama in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
- ↑ a b Vulpes chama in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species 2012.2. Posted by: C. Stuart, T. Stuart, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
literature
- Matthew E. Gompper, Abi Tamim Vanak: Vulpes bengalensis . In: Mammalian Species . tape 795 , 2006, pp. 1–4 ( full text (PDF; 525 kB)).
- Canid Specialist Group: Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis )
Web links
- Vulpes bengalensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006 Posted by: John Singh & Jhala, 2006. Retrieved on April 1, 2013 (Engl.).