Wildlifeof India
Tibetan Fox
Bears, Dogs, Otters & Red Panda
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Vulpes ferrilata
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly plateau pikas; also rodents, marmots, woolly hares, small ground birds and lizards
Habitat
Upland plains and hills at about 3,500–5,200m
Range
Tibetan Plateau, Ladakh and Sikkim in India, and northern Nepal
Litter size
2–4 young
Gestation period
50–60 days
Size
Head and body 60–70cm; tail 29–40cm
Weight
4–5.5kg
The Tibetan fox is a true fox of the high Tibetan Plateau. It has a soft, dense rufous coat over the crown, neck, back and lower legs, with grey cheeks, flanks, upper legs and rump, a narrow muzzle, short ears and a bushy tail with a white tip. Adults measure 60–70 cm in head and body with a 29–40 cm tail and usually weigh 4–5.5 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).
In India it is restricted to the Ladakh plateau and Sikkim, north of the Himalaya. It lives in upland plains and hills at about 3,500–5,200 m, and is mostly solitary and a daytime hunter, because its main prey, pikas, are active by day. It also takes rodents, marmots, woolly hares, small ground birds and lizards, and it digs burrows at the base of boulders and on low slopes. Two to four young are born after 50–60 days and stay with their parents until eight to ten months old (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Tibetan Fox eat?
- Mainly plateau pikas; also rodents, marmots, woolly hares, small ground birds and lizards
- What habitat does the Tibetan Fox live in?
- Upland plains and hills at about 3,500–5,200m
- Where is the Tibetan Fox found?
- Tibetan Plateau, Ladakh and Sikkim in India, and northern Nepal
- What is the litter size of the Tibetan Fox?
- 2–4 young
- How long is the gestation period of the Tibetan Fox?
- 50–60 days
- How big is the Tibetan Fox?
- Head and body 60–70cm; tail 29–40cm
- How much does the Tibetan Fox weigh?
- 4–5.5kg