Blanford's fox
Blanford's fox (Vulpes cana), is a small fox found in certain regions of the Middle East and Central Asia.
Other names
It is also known as the Afghan fox, royal fox, dog fox, hoary fox, steppe fox, black fox, king fox (شاهروباه Shāhrūbāh in Persian), cliff fox or Baluchistan fox. This can be confusing because other species are known as the corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) and the hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus).
Distribution and habitat
The Blanford's fox inhabits semi-arid regions, steppes and mountains of Afghanistan, Egypt (Sinaï), Turkestan, northeast Iran, SW Pakistan, the West Bank and Israel. It may also live throughout Arabia (Oman, Yemen and Jordan), as one was trapped in Dhofar, Oman in 1984. Recent camera trapping surveys have confirmed the presence of the species in several places in the mountains of South Sinai, Egypt and the Mountains of Ras Al Khaima, UAE, and in Saudi Arabia.
The Blanford's fox possesses footpads that are hairless and have claws that are cat-like, curved, sharp, and have been described by some authors as semi-retractile.