The nocturnal pale fox is thought to live in small family groups consisting of an adult male, an adult female and their young (5). They dig extensive dens, descending two to three metres and extending up to 15 metres, with the inner chambers lined with dry vegetation. These burrows allow the foxes to escape the heat of the day until dusk when they surface to search for food. Pale foxes primarily feed on fruits, berries and vegetable matter, and they possess well-developed molars suited to this largely herbivorous diet (3). However, they also sometimes catch and eat small animals such as rodents, lizards and invertebrates (2). From their diet, pale foxes obtain sufficient moisture to enable them to survive for the long, dry, hot seasons of their desert habitat (2). Pale foxes are believed to give birth to litters of three to four pups, after a gestation period of only seven to eight weeks. The development of the young foxes is just as quick, with weaning of the pups taking place after six to eight weeks (3). A pale fox in captivity lived to the age of three, but it is thought that in the wild they live to at least twice this age (3).

The pale fox is one of the least known of all fox species, maybe in part due to its pale, sandy coat that blends in with its desert habitat, and its nocturnal behaviour. Its large ears look enormous against its small body and thin legs (2) (3), and it also has long whiskers and black rings surrounding the eyes (4). The long, bushy tail is reddish brown, tipped with black and a dark patch above the tail indicates the presence of a scent gland (2) (3).

The Pallid Fox is distributed in the semi-arid Sahelian region of Africa bordering the Sahara, from Mauritania and Senegal through Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad to the Red Sea. Southern limit of geographical range extends into northern Guinean savanna zones.

The pale fox is found from Senegal to Northern Sudan and Somalia (Grzimeck 1990).

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

Occupies the band of African Sahel, south of the Sahara, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. There are four subspecies recognised; V.p. pallida occurs in Sudan, V.p. edwardsi inhabits Mali and Senegal, V.p. harterti is found in northern Nigeria northwards to Niger and westwards to Burkina Faso, and V.p. oertzeni ranges from Libya, through Nigeria, northern Cameroon and Chad, south to Sudan (2) (3).

The pale fox has an elongated, low body, relatively short legs and a narrow muzzle. Its ears are long and rounded at the tip. Its tail is bushy and is at least half as long as its body, and often fully as long. The tip of its tail is black. The upperpart of its body is pale and sandy in color, and the underpart is buffy white. The pupil of its eye generally appears elliptical in strong light. The fox's eye is surrounded by a dark ring (Walker, 1991; Rosevear, 1974).

Range mass: 1.5 to 3.6 kg.

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

The pale fox digs extensive dens made of earth. The burrows are large, with tunnels extending 10-15 meters and opening into small chambers lined with dry vegetable material (Walker, 1991; Dorst and Dandelot, 1970).

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; scrub forest

The pale fox inhabits sandy and stony deserts and semi-desert areas, venturing south toward the more moist savannahs (2) (3).

The pale fox feeds on rodents, small animals, small reptiles, birds, eggs, vegetable matter (wild melons), and insects (Dorst and Dandelot, 1970; Grzimeck, 1990; Walker, 1990).

Animal Foods: birds; mammals; reptiles; eggs; insects

Plant Foods: fruit

Primary Diet: omnivore

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 10.0 years.

Maximum longevity: 16 years (captivity) Observations: In the wild, these animals may live up to 10 years (Bernhard Grzimek 1990). One male specimen lived 16 years in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).

No information is available on the mating system of this species.

There are 51-53 days in the gestation period of the pale fox. Three to six young are born per birth; each pup weighs 1.7-3.8 ounces, or 50-100 grams. The weaning period takes six to eight weeks. The pale fox's life span is not more than 10 years (Grzimeck, 1990).

Range number of offspring: 3 to 6.

Range gestation period: 51 to 53 days.

Range weaning age: 42 to 56 days.

Average birth mass: 75 g.

Average number of offspring: 4.

Parental Investment: altricial

Little is known about the species. IUCN -- "insufficiently known."

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: data deficient

Classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

One of the least known canid species, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) has determined that there is insufficient information to conclude the extent to which the pale fox may be threatened with extinction (1). Potential threats include any alterations to the unstable and fluctuating habitat band it occupies (2), and occasional persecution after killing domestic birds (3).

Conservation Actions

It is thought likely that the pale fox occurs in some protected areas within its extensive range, but there is no conclusive information yet available. There are no known specific conservation measures in place for this species at present, and the greatest need is to determine the status, biology and ecological requirements of the mysterious pale fox through further studies (3).

As a predator, the pale flox plays an important role in the balance of the ecological system and food chain.