Indian Fox

This is the common fox of the plains which is smaller and slimmer than the Red fox. The Indian fox is also known as the Bengal fox and it's color is gray in winter which contrasts with the rufous limbs. It has got a very distinctive black tip at the end of the tail. This fox rarely enters the forest. It is common in the waste and scrub of desert zones. Many live in cultivated lands, bordering irrigation channels. It lives in a burrow dug in an open ground or in scrub. The burrow always has several openings, some blind and others leading to several other chambers, just like the caves of Mustang. Inside the burrow, the animal sleeps by day, coming out at dusk to seek its food. In the gathering darkness, its chattering bark is heard, a sharp yelp, repeated three or four times. These foxes feed on small mammals, reptiles, insects, rats, rodents etc. Perhaps that's why they are liked by farmers. The Indian fox's main defense against enemies is its speed and the dexterous way in which it twists and turns on its course, using its tail to balance its movements. The tail trails over the ground when the fox is going slow and is carried horizontally when on the run, and flicked up erect when twisting and turning. Their tail is no doubt an important part of their body.