Pars Today

Blanford’s fox is one of the rarest fox species in Iran, which has captured the attention of hunters, due to its precious and pretty fur. This animal has been on the verge of extinction in the recent years. Today, we study this animal.

Blanford’s fox is probably the smallest and most beautiful type of fox in Iran. It is relatively smaller than ordinary foxes, and displays two black stripes, which stretch from its eyes toward its nose. It maintains a very wide tail, and the back of its ears are greyish brown in color. It maintains thick body hair, and has greyish brown hair on its back. The length of its head and body totals 40-50 centimeters; and the length of its tail vary from 33 to 41 centimeters. It weighs one to three kilograms. Like other foxes which live in deserts, Blanford’s fox has large ears. However, in contrast to other types of fox, its soles are hairless and cannot protect its claws from the heated desert sand.

It maintains thick and long hairs. Its tail helps it to cover part of it hands and legs in the cold season. The other function of its tail is to warn enemies by raising the tail upwards. This move also enables its glands, which are underneath its tail, to secret, warding off many hunters and ill-wishers due to its unbearable smell.

Blanford’s fox is very agile and intelligent. It is capable of running at the speed of 50 kilometers per hour for a long while. It is a nocturnal animal. It usually goes hunting on its own. It is an omnivorous animal, and favors grapes and yellow melons. It also feeds on insects in desert. This animal is also carnivorous, eating smaller animals such as rabbits and mice.

Blanford’s fox usually is not sacred of humans and rarely attacks them.

Blanford’s fox only chooses one partner. Its mating season is in mid-winter. Its pregnancy lasts for 50-60 days, giving birth to one to three cubs. The female fox feeds its children for up to two months. The cubs are prepared for reproduction at the age of 8-12 months. This animal’s lifespan stands at 4-5 years. However, some have also been reported to live up to ten years.

The habitat of Blanford’s fox is mountainous steppes and semi-dry regions. It usually resides in less-than-20,000 meter altitudes. It has been shown that this animal avoids residing in high altitudes and warm valleys, and usually lives around hills, in proximity of plains. Blanford’s fox lives in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and southeastern and central regions of Iran. This animal has been spotted in Khorasan, Kerman, Fars, Yazd, and Isfahan Provinces.

Poaching has left an adverse effect on the population of Blanford’s fox. Given its beautiful fur, this animal has been hunted in recent years, leading to the inclusion of this animal in the red list of the threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the recent years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has highly supported Blanford’s fox.

MR/SS