The Cape fox (Vulpes chama), also called the cama fox or the silver-backed fox, is a small fox.

It has black or silver gray fur with flanks and underside in light yellow. The tip of its tail is always black.

The Cape fox tend to be 45 to 61 cm (17.7-24 inches) long, not including a 30 to 40 cm (11.8-15.75 inch) tail. It is 28 to 33 cm (11-13 inch) tall at the shoulder, and usually weighs from 3.6 to 5 kg (8-11 lbs).

It inhabits mainly open country, from open grassland plains with scattered thickets to semi-desert scrub, and also extending into fynbos. It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa, occurring in most parts of the Western and Northern Cape provinces, the Eastern Cape (excluding the south-eastern side) the Free State, western and north-western KwaZulu-Natal and the North-West province. It also occurs in Lesotho, a high mountainous region.

The Cape fox is nocturnal and it is mainly active at night and is most active just before dawn or after dusk; it can be spotted during the early mornings and early evenings. During the day it typically shelters in burrows underground, holes, hollows, or dense thickets, and it is an active digger that will excavate its own borrow, although it generally modifies an abandoned borrow of another species, such as a Springhare's burrow, to its specific requirements. They are solitary creatures, and although they form mated pairs the males and females are often found alone as they tend to forage separately and are seldom seen together. They are not territorial, however they will mark their territory with a pungent scent. Although it is a normally silent fox, the Cape fox is known to communicate with soft calls, whines or chirps. However, they will warn with a loud bark whenever alarmed. When aggressive, the Cape fox is known to growl and spit at its attacker. To show its excitement, the fox lifts its tail, and by which the higher the height of the tail lift often indicates the measure of excitement in the fox.

A cape is any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho, but usually it is a long garment that covers only the back half of the wearer, fastening around the neck.

Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon, and have had periodic returns to fashion, for example, in nineteenth century Europe. Roman Catholic clergy wear a type of cape known as a ferraiolo, which is worn for formal events outside of a liturgical context. The cope is a liturgical vestment in the form of a cape. Capes are often highly decorated with elaborate embroidery. Capes remain in regular use as rain wear in various military units and police forces, for example in France. A gas cape was a voluminous military garment designed to give rain protection to someone wearing the bulky gas masks used in twentieth century wars.

In fashion, the word cape usually refers to a shorter garment and cloak to a full-length version of the different types of garment, though the two terms are sometimes used synonymously for full-length coverings. The fashion cape does not cover the front to any appreciable degree. In raingear, a cape is usually a long and roomy protective garment worn to keep one dry in the rain.

Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids (slightly smaller than the medium-sized domestic dog), characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail (or brush).

Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to the Vulpes genus of "true foxes". By far the most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), although various species are found on almost every continent. The presence of fox-like carnivores all over the globe, together with their widespread reputation for cunning, has contributed to their appearance in popular culture and folklore in many societies around the world (see also Foxes in culture).

The Modern English word "fox" is Old English, and comes from the Proto-Germanic word fukh – compare German Fuchs, Gothic fauho, Old Norse foa and Dutch vos. It corresponds to the Proto-Indo-European word puk- meaning "tail of it" (compare Sanskrit puccha, also "tail"). The bushy tail is also the source of the word for fox in Welsh: llwynog, from llwyn, "bush, grove".Lithuanian: uodegis, from uodega, "tail", Portuguese: raposa, from rabo, "tail" and Ojibwa: waagosh, from waa, which refers to the up and down "bounce" or flickering of an animal or its tail. Male foxes are known as dogs or reynards, females as vixens, and young as kits, pups or cubs. A group of foxes is a "skulk", "leash", "troop" or "earth".