Fox

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Information & Scientific Information about the Bengal Fox (Vulpes bengalensis)

The Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis) is small canid that is endemic (i.e it means a species is only found in a certain geographic location) to the Indian Subcontinent. It is from the genus 'Vulpes', meaning 'true foxes'. They have a wide distribution encompassing large swathes of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh (Northwest) & Nepal.

The Mammalian Species No. 795, Vulpes Bengalensis. LINK

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Information from the IUCN Red List Assessment Vulpes bengalensis, Bengal Fox. Assessment done by Dr. Yadvendradev Jhala

Range Description 

The Indian Fox is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. It ranges from the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal to the southern tip of the Indian peninsula (but it is absent from the Western and Eastern Ghats). The species' range extends from Sindh province of Pakistan to north Bengal in the eastern part of India (Johnsingh and Jhala 2004). Occurs up to 1,500 m in Nepal and north-eastern India (Gompper and Vanak 2006).

Country Occurrence:
Native: Bangladesh; India; Nepal; Pakistan

Threats

Although the Indian Fox is widespread, it occurs generally at low densities throughout its range, and populations can undergo major fluctuations due to prey availability and disease (rabies and canine distemper virus have been recorded to cause local population declines in western India). They can tolerate some human disturbance, although with expanding human populations and continued development of grasslands for agricultural and industrial uses, the habitat of the Indian Fox is continuously being depleted. The combination of above factors along with disease and/or natural mortality could potentially cause localized extirpations. In certain states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, Indian Fox habitat is widespread with minimal threats, while in other states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu the habitats of the Indian Fox are under threat (Johnsingh and Jhala 2004).

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Distribution and status of the Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis in southern India LINK

Abstract

The Indian fox is reportedly the most wide- spread fox species known to occur in India. Despite this generalisation however, its distri- bution and status are virtually unknown. Al- though the Indian fox occurs in many pro- tected areas in India, it has not been the focus of much research to date. A preliminary sur- vey of sightings, pugmarks and dens was un- dertaken in seven districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states in southern India, to de- termine the distribution of the Indian fox. Its presence was confirmed in ten of the 13 sites surveyed, with the most number of sightings and signs of Indian fox presence found in Rol- lapadu Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh. The Indian fox appears to be sparsely but widely distributed within the localities surveyed.

Ecology of Bengal fox (Vulpes Bengalensis) in Northwest Bangladesh LINK

Abstract

The northwest regions of Bangladesh belong to the global range of Bengal fox, Vulpes bengalensis. However, scientific information on this small canid in Bangladesh is scanty; it also remains out of any conservation initiatives, and it is widely perceived as a potential threat to local poultry. We conducted this premier study between September 2019 and December 2021. We investigated the feeding and breeding behaviour of this fox by using scat samples, direct field surveys and camera-trapping. An analysis of 67 scats yielded eight major categories of prey items consumed by the fox. Arthropods (29%) ranked top in the relative percentage of occurrence, followed by rodents (27%), plant parts (17%), and birds (13%), among the others. Ninety-two percent of scats contained multiple food items, with an average number of food items per scat of 3.50± SE 1.87. We recorded 17 den sites in and around human-dominated landscapes, of which nine den sites remained unoccupied during the entire study period. Dens used by Bengal foxes were complex, comprising interconnected tunnels and holes with an average of 23.66± SD 12.78 holes/den. We estimated a total of 37 individuals of the fox, with 62% pups in the recorded population. The average litter size was 3.36± SE 0.52 pups. We recommend further research to assess population status and delineate its range in Bangladesh.

Important information:

• "This canid has received little attention from researchers and conservation authorities; thereby, scientific information, including the ecology and their occurrence, is scanty in Bangladesh. Importantly, its range in the country might have been contracted significantly over decades (IUCN Bangladesh 2015), perhaps due to traditional hunting as well as deliberate killing by communities considering the species to be a threat to local poultry (Aziz 2020). We carried out this premier investigation on its population status, feeding behaviour, and breeding behaviour in a landscape dominated by agricultural activities and human settlements in the northwestern districts of Bangladesh."
  

• "The Bengal fox took a variety of foods comprising insects, rodents, birds, eggs, reptiles, and plant materials. About 93% scat contains more than one prey items, suggesting its opportunistic as well as generalist feeding habit. Our results confirm the findings of Home and Jhala (2009) in Gujarat of India where arthropods were most common, followed by rodents, fruits, and reptiles."
  

• "Hunting as well as deliberate killing and destruction of dens are two critical threats to Bengal fox in the study areas. For instance, four den sites recorded in the earlier time study were demolished by building human settlements, and due to the land being brought under cultivation. The landowner of one site in Dinajpur killed all four cubs in January who claimed that the tree roots of his orchards become very fragile when foxes excavate dens nearby. One pup from the same litter was taken away by an ethnic hunter for consumption."
  

• "Bengal fox is losing their habitats due to the increasing use of agricultural lands in Bangladesh. The scientific information on its role in controlling agricultural pests (e.g., rodents, insects, etc.) can potentially change the perceived threat of foxes to poultry and crops. Because the range of this species completely overlaps with human-dominated landscapes, its conservation largely relies on the support from local inhabitants across its range in the country. We recommend community-based awareness campaigns so that local inhabitants across its range would understand the role of this canid in controlling the agricultural pests. The finding of this study is likely to bring the species into focus for further investigation, and to initiate conservation actions to arrest any future population decline in the country."
  

[Map showing the den sites and sample locations of Bengal fox in the northwest Bangladesh]

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[Major prey items and their frequency of occurrence in scats of Bengal fox in Dinajpur and Panchagarh Districts of Bangladesh]

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[Prey items, frequency of occurrence (FO) and relative occurrence (RO) in scats of Bengal fox in Dinajpur and Panchagarh Districts of Bangladesh]

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Image of a Bengal Fox in Naogaon (northwest) Bangladesh. Credits to Dr Monirul Khan.

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