Pale Fox

Vulpes pallida

What do you know about the Pale Fox? Not much? Me neither. But readers, we aren't alone in our lack of knowledge about this canine. You see, the Pale Fox is one of the least studied foxes in the entire world!

There are a few reasons why they hold such a distinction. 1.) They live in remote, sandy areas of the African Sahel. 2.) They have sandy colored coats that make them very difficult to spot in these habitats. 3.) They are nocturnal.

Pale Foxes are so little studied that it took until this year (2012) for the species to get a conservation designation from the IUCN. Before that, no one really knew how numerous they were, or how potentially threatened. They have been labeled as Least Concern for now, but the population trend is still unknown.

In addition to the facts given above, we know that these foxes live in small family groups, and build burrows underground. They also have a surprising diet-- they eat a whole lot of plants, and have the back molars to prove it. (They do also eat small critters and insects). Finally, Pale Foxes look a lot like Fennecs, but have larger bodies and smaller ears.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Africa
Size : Body length up to 18in (46cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Canidae -- Genus : Vulpes -- Species : V. pallida