- published: 27 Sep 2015
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Blanford's fox (Vulpes cana), is a small fox found in certain regions of the Middle East.
It is also known as the Afghan fox, royal fox, Corsac, dog fox, hoary fox, steppe fox, black fox, king fox, 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).
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 has an ability to climb rocks and jump described as "astonishing", jumping to ledges 3 meters above them with ease and as part of their regular movements and climbing vertical, crumbling cliffs by a series of jumps up vertical sections. The foxes use their sharp, curved claws and naked footpads for traction on narrow ledges and their long, bushy tails as a counterbalance.