Lack of habitat protection is perhaps the greatest threat to the Indian fox. For example, in southern India, less than 2% of potential Indian fox habitat is covered under the existing protected area network of the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh . Hunting for its skin and flesh, as well as conversion of its grassland habitat to agriculture, industry, and increasingly bio-fuel plantations, have affected its population density. In addition, its body parts are used in traditional medicine, and in some areas it is eaten. They are hunted by the "narikuruva" tribes of southern India. In Karnataka, they are captured in rituals conducted during Sankranthi.
Threats
Bengal fox
Bengal fox | Threats
Lack of habitat protection Lack of habitat protection and hunting. Lack of habitat protection is perhaps the greatest threat it face. Lack of habitat protection , hunting for its skin and flesh, conversion of grassland habitat to agriculture, industry, increase in bio-fuel plantations
how long does a red fox live in the wild
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In the wild they typically do not survive past 5 years of age.
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what is red fox?
user
It is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora.
assistant
where did it originate?
user
The species is Eurasian in origin.
assistant
how did it evolve?
user
It is considered a more specialised form of "Vulpes" than the Afghan, corsac and Bengal foxes in the direction of size and adaptation to carnivory.
assistant
what is the appearance of this third type of fox?
user
It is a relatively small fox with an elongated muzzle, long, pointed ears, and a bushy tail about 50 to 60% of the length of the head and body.
assistant
where is it found?
user
he Bengal fox is distributed throughout much of the Indian subcontinent with the exception of the wet forests and the extreme arid zone.
assistant
what does this fox eat?
user
Rodents, reptiles, crabs, termites, insects, small birds, and fruits.
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what are its dangers?
user
The Bengal fox feeds on rodents, reptiles, crabs, termites, insects, small birds, and fruits. Scats of young pups appeared to show that they fed mainly on rodents but are opportunistic feeders.
Bengal fox | Diet
Lack of habitat protection is perhaps the greatest threat to the Indian fox. For example, in southern India, less than 2% of potential Indian fox habitat is covered under the existing protected area network of the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh . Hunting for its skin and flesh, as well as conversion of its grassland habitat to agriculture, industry, and increasingly bio-fuel plantations, have affected its population density. In addition, its body parts are used in traditional medicine, and in some areas it is eaten. They are hunted by the "narikuruva" tribes of southern India. In Karnataka, they are captured in rituals conducted during Sankranthi.
Bengal fox | Threats
Another major threat is disease such as canine distemper virus and rabies, which spills over from the large unvaccinated populations of free-ranging dogs found throughout their range.
Bengal fox | Threats
The Bengal fox is distributed throughout much of the Indian subcontinent with the exception of the wet forests and the extreme arid zone. Its range is bounded by the Himalayas and the Indus River valley. Its preferred habitat is short open grassland, scrub or thorn forest. It appears to avoid steep terrain and tall grassland. It was considered to be a habitat generalist, but it shows a strong preference for semiarid, short grassland habitats at multiple scales.
Bengal fox | Distribution and habitat
Bengal foxes are mainly crepuscular in their habits. During the heat of the day, they hide under vegetation or in subterranean dens that they dig. The dens are large and complex with multiple chambers and escape routes. They are sometimes seen basking at a vantage point around sunrise or sunset. In captivity, the lifespan is about 6 to 8 years.
Bengal fox | Behaviour and ecology
The Bengal fox ("Vulpes bengalensis"), also known as the Indian fox, is a fox endemic to the Indian subcontinent from the Himalayan foothills and Terai of Nepal through southern India, and from southern and eastern Pakistan to eastern India and southeastern Bangladesh.
Bengal fox | Introduction
"Vulpes bengalensis" is a relatively small fox with an elongated muzzle, long, pointed ears, and a bushy tail about 50 to 60% of the length of the head and body. Its dorsal pelage is very variable, but mostly grayish and paler ventrally; its legs tend to be brownish or rufous. It is more daintily built than "Vulpes vulpes". The tail is bushy with a prominent black tip which distinguishes it from "V. vulpes". Back of ears are dark brown with black margin. Its rhinarium is naked and the lips are black, with small black hair patches on upper part of nuzzle (shaft) in front of eyes.
Bengal fox | Appearance
The Indian flying fox is frugivorous or nectarivorous, i.e., they eat fruits or drink nectar from flowers. At dusk, it forages for ripe fruit. It is a primarily generalist feeder, and eats any available fruits. Seeds from ingested fruits are scarified in its digestive tract and dispersed through its waste. It is relied on for seed propagation by 300 plant species of nearly 200 genera, of which approximately 500 economically valuable products are produced in India. Nearly 70% of the seeds in Indian flying fox guano are of the banyan tree, a keystone species in Indian ecosystems. Although initially thought to be strictly frugivorous, it has been observed deliberately eating insects and leaves.
Indian flying fox | Diet
More commonly, however, it also eats insects, rodents, bird eggs, and carrion as a part of its diet. It can probably survive for long periods of time without drinking, subsisting on the water in its food.
Sechuran fox | Behavior and diet
Bengal monitors tend to remain active the whole day. Large adults may ascend vertical tree trunks, where they sometimes stalk and capture roosting bats. The species is a generalist, and feeds on a varied diet of invertebrates and vertebrates. Invertebrate prey mostly consists of beetles and their larvae followed by orthopterans, but also maggots, caterpillars, centipedes, scorpions, crabs, crayfish, snails, termites, ants, and earwigs. Larger individuals in addition to invertebrates also eat a large amount of vertebrate prey, including toads and frogs and their eggs, fish, lizards, snakes, rats, squirrels, hares, musk shrews, and birds. Hares and rodents such as Indian bandicoot rats are often caught by digging them out of their nests.
Bengal monitor | Feeding
The young of the mated pair remain with their parents to assist in caring for new kits. The species primarily feeds on small rodents, though it may also target rabbits, game birds, reptiles, invertebrates and young ungulates. Fruit and vegetable matter is also eaten sometimes. Although the red fox tends to kill smaller predators, including other fox species, it is vulnerable to attack from larger predators, such as wolves, coyotes, golden jackals and medium- and large-sized felines.
Red fox | Introduction
It has been observed to visit the flowers of the kapok tree "Ceiba pentandra" and it is believed to pollinate this tree.
Madagascan flying fox | Ecology
Like other fruit bats, the Indian flying fox may be a natural reservoir for diseases including certain henipaviruses and flaviviruses. These can prove fatal to humans and domestic animals. Indian flying foxes in India and Bangladesh have tested positive for Nipah virus, a type of henipavirus. Due to human encroachment into their habitats, there is a high risk of spillover infection of Nipah virus from Indian flying foxes to humans. While Nipah virus outbreaks are more likely in areas preferred by Indian flying foxes, researchers note that "the presence of bats in and of itself is not considered a risk factor for Nipah virus infection." Rather, the consumption of date palm sap is a significant route of transmission.
Indian flying fox | Disease transmission
The ears have the same colour as the nape or maybe darker, but not having a dark patch as in "V. vulpes". Extensive variation in coat colour exists across populations and seasonally within populations, but generally varies from grey to pale brown. The head and body length is , with a long tail. Typical weight is . The genus "Vulpes" can be separated from "Canis" and "Cuon" in the Indian region by the flat forehead between the postorbital processes and not inflated by air cells. The processes themselves are slightly concave with a raised anterior edge (convexly round in other canids).
Bengal fox | Appearance
Its populations are constantly threatened through habitat destruction caused by urbanization or widening of roads. Tree roosts are often felled and colonies dispersed. Smaller colonies tend to remain in place longer than larger colonies, as those larger colonies have their roosts felled more quickly.
Indian flying fox | Distribution and habitat
Consumption is also reported in three provinces of South China and one province in Southwest China. Hunting may be sustainable, though, with some researchers positing that habitat loss and roost disturbance are much more damaging to its populations.
Indian flying fox | As food and medicine
The canine teeth are longer.
Bengal fox | Appearance
The Nicobar flying fox ("Pteropus faunulus") is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to India. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss due to forest clearing.
Nicobar flying fox | Introduction
To some, the Indian flying fox is vermin because they believe that it "poaches" ripe fruit from orchards. A study in India found that of all orchard crops, Indian flying foxes did the most damage to mango and guava crops. However, an estimated 60% of fruits damaged by the flying foxes were ripe or overripe; overripe fruits are about half as valuable as ripe fruits. In the Maldives, Indian flying foxes are considered major pests of almond, guava, and mango trees. Indian flying foxes in the Maldives have been culled to protect orchards; some managers advocated reducing their population by 75% every three to four years for optimum control.
Indian flying fox | As pests
Their primary prey consists of birds, rodents, hares, fruit, carrion, and insects, although they also eat lizards, armadillos, snails and other invertebrates, lambs, and the eggs of ground-nesting birds. Their primary predators are pumas, domesticated dogs, and anacondas, most notably the yellow anaconda.
Pampas fox | Behavior and diet
Reptiles include the Bengal monitor, Indian Python, Indian cobra, king cobra, white-lipped pit viper, common krait, brahminy blind snake, common vine snake, and reticulated python. Lesser cat species include fishing cat, jungle cat, Asian golden cat, and leopard cat. Bear species like sloth bear and Himalayan black bear live up north. The red panda, rhesus macaque, Assam macaque, Tarai grey langur, Northern plains gray langur, and binturong are some arboreal creatures, and swine include pygmy hog and Indian boar. Bengal fox, Indian jackal, Indian wolf, and spotted linsang are some of the predators besides tigers. The hispid hare is a very rare species which is found here.
Protected areas of West Bengal | Fauna
Foxsnakes are strict carnivores. Their primary diet consists of mice and other small rodents, but they will take any prey small enough to swallow whole, including young rabbits, frogs, fledgling birds and eggs. As constrictors, they subdue their prey by squeezing it between their coils.
Pantherophis vulpinus | Diet
The diet varies in different parts of its range and at different times of year. It consists mainly of mammals, birds, arthropods, bird eggs, reptiles, fruit and carrion. The main prey items seem to be small mammals, especially rodents. Fruits eaten include "Cryptocarya alba", "Lithraea caustica" and "Prosopanche spp".
South American gray fox | Diet
The black-eared flying fox faces a number of threats. Destruction of its forest habitat reduces the availability of roosting sites and the animal is hunted by man for food. The crushed bones of this species are used in traditional medicine to relieve asthma symptoms. However, it has proved adaptable to changes in diet and now feeds on a number of introduced species of plant. The IUCN has rated this species as "Vulnerable".
Black-eared flying fox | Status
During winter, in the colder parts of their distribution range, they may take shelter and go through a period of reduced metabolic activity. They are not territorial, and may change their range seasonally in response to food availability. They are usually shy and avoid humans. They have keen eyesight and can detect human movement nearly 250 m away. When caught, a few individuals may bite, but rarely do so. Although they are found on agricultural land, they prefer forests with large trees. Generally, high ground cover with large trees are favorable areas. Captives have been known to live for nearly 22 years.
Bengal monitor | Ecology and behaviour
The red fox is considered a more specialised form of "Vulpes" than the Afghan, corsac and Bengal foxes in the direction of size and adaptation to carnivory; the skull displays far fewer neotenous traits than in other species, and its facial area is more developed. It is, however, not as adapted for a purely carnivorous diet as the Tibetan fox.
Red fox | Evolution
The Indian flying fox also eats flowers, seed pods, bark, cones, and twigs. Their diet changes seasonally, with a greater reliance on mango fruits for moisture in the autumn and spring. A species of ebony tree (pale moon ebony tree) provides dietary fiber year-round. Yellow box eucalyptus and Chinese pistache provide necessary carbohydrates, fats, iron, and phosphorus in the winter.
Indian flying fox | Diet
This species is herbivorous. They eat fruits of the Manilkara genus and the Pandanus genus, including screw-pine and thatch screwpine. When eating a piece of fruit, they will suck out the juices and discard the rest instead of consuming it entirely. They consume ornamental plants including Agave americana. They are also known to eat ferns, based on the presence of Asplenium spores in their guano. Other components of their diet include soursop fruit, sugar-apples, banana fruits, leaves, and flowers, traveller's palm flowers, giant white bird of paradise flowers, pitahaya fruit, Indian-almond fruit, Java apple fruit and flowers, guava fruit, weeping paperbark flowers, Albany bottlebrush flowers, litchi fruit, key lime fruits, Meyer lemons, pomelos, grapefruit, amanatsu fruit, sweet oranges, tangerines, mangos, figs, and Chinese mulberries.
Bonin flying fox | Diet
The Indian flying fox ("Pteropus medius", formerly "Pteropus giganteus"), also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox found in the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest as a disease vector, as it is capable of transmitting several viruses to humans. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar. This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of its fruit consumption.
Indian flying fox | Introduction
Its diet consists of plant matter such as fruit and flower blossoms, including the blossoms of coconut trees. It has been known to be infected by the blood parasite "Mycoplasma mariboi", a kind of Rickettsiales.
Big-eared flying fox | Biology and ecology
The main threats to the pampas fox comes from humans hunting them for their fur, to prevent them from attacking livestock, and may be affected by the loss of their natural habitat, although, because they remain common in most areas where they have been studied, the pampas fox is not presently considered a threatened species.
Pampas fox | Threats
This species primarily feeds on flowers, nectar and fruit. When all three food items are available, flowers and nectar are preferred. The pollen, nectar, and flower of coconut and durian trees, as well as the fruits of rambutan, fig and langsat trees, are consumed. Flying foxes will also eat mangoes and bananas. With fruit, the flying fox prefers the pulp, and slices open the rind to get it. With durian tree flowers, the flying fox can lick up the nectar without doing apparent damage to the flower. The large flying fox is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite "Moniliformis convolutus".
Large flying fox | Biology and ecology
Red foxes are omnivores with a highly varied diet. Research conducted in the former Soviet Union showed red foxes consuming over 300 animal species and a few dozen species of plants. They primarily feed on small rodents like voles, mice, ground squirrels, hamsters, gerbils, woodchucks, pocket gophers and deer mice. Secondary prey species include birds (with passeriformes, galliformes and waterfowl predominating), leporids, porcupines, raccoons, opossums, reptiles, insects, other invertebrates and flotsam (marine mammals, fish and echinoderms). On very rare occasions, foxes may attack young or small ungulates. They typically target mammals up to about in weight, and they require of food daily.
Red fox | Diet, hunting and feeding behaviour
Grey-headed flying foxes are exposed to several threats, including loss of foraging and roosting habitat, competition with the black flying fox, and mass die-offs caused by extreme temperature events. When present in urban environments, grey-headed flying foxes are sometimes perceived as a nuisance. Cultivated orchard fruits are also taken, but apparently only at times when other food items are scarce. Because their roosting and foraging habits bring the species into conflict with humans, they suffer from direct killing of animals in orchards and harassment and destruction of roosts. Negative public perception of the species has intensified with the discovery of three recently emerged zoonotic viruses that are potentially fatal to humans: Hendra virus, Australian bat lyssavirus and Menangle virus.
Grey-headed flying fox | Threats
Foxes make a wide range of vocalizations. A chattering cry is the most common call. They also growl, whine, whimper, and bark. The Bengal fox does not appear to have latrine behaviour, a feature seen in some social canids, in which all members defecate at specific spots. They can be heard howling in the night in groups.
Bengal fox | Communication
In Pakistan, its populations have declined. This has been partly attributed to the belief that its fat is a treatment for rheumatism. Tribes in the Attappadi region of India eat the cooked flesh of the Indian flying fox to treat asthma and chest pain. Healers of the Kanda Tribe of Bangladesh use hair from Indian flying foxes to create treatments for "fever with shivering." In Pakistan and India, Indian flying foxes are more likely to be killed for medicine than for bushmeat. However, the meat is consumed by indigenous tribes of India. Its meat is traded locally in small markets, and is not considered of significant economic importance.
Indian flying fox | As food and medicine
In its Red List of Threatened Species, the IUCN has classified this bat as "Vulnerable". Its numbers appear to be declining and the greatest threat it faces is being hunted for bushmeat. Under Madagascar law, hunting this species is only permitted between the months of May and August. It is targeted both at its roosting sites and at the trees where it feeds, and the harvesting in many areas is believed to be unsustainable. It is taken as a subsistence food and also commercially. Besides this, it is threatened by loss of habitat as woodland is converted to agricultural land.
Madagascan flying fox | Status
The major threat posed to the corsac fox is poaching. They are slow runners and are easily caught by hunters, and their population has been reduced in areas where they have been heavily hunted for their fur. In the late 19th century, up to 10,000 foxes were killed annually for pelt trade. The general population remains healthy, however, as the corsac fox has proven to be able to withstand great hunting pressures, and their habitats remain intact due to the low human population density in its range. Their other main threat is natural disasters, which can cause the numbers of foxes to drop 90% in some areas, but the population often recovers quickly.
Corsac fox | Threats
The Bengal fox forms pair bonds that may last a lifetime, but extra-pair copulations are known to occur. Throughout most of its range, the mating season starts in autumn (usually October–November) and after a gestation period around 50–60 days, two to four pups are born in a den. Both parents participate in pup-rearing. The pups are fully weaned about 3–4 months after emerging from the den. Pup mortality is high during the first few months. Pups may sometimes be nursed by multiple females. During the day, they tend to rest under shrubs and bushes, except in summer when they rest in dens.
Bengal fox | Reproduction
Densities are often very low. Large raptors, canids, felids, procyonids and snakes are likely the major predators.
Mexican fox squirrel | Behavior
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian Subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It roosts in large, established colonies on open tree branches, especially in urban areas or in temples. It prefers to roost on tall trees with small diameters, especially canopy trees, and prefers to be in close proximity to bodies of water, human residences, and agricultural land. This habitat selection is highly dependent on food availability. For example, many residences within the bat's distribution have outdoor gardens that support its generalist frugivorous feeding habits. This tendency to support a generalist frugivorous diet through habitat selection also leads it to commonly roost in highly fragmented forests, where the variety of plant species allows it to better utilize its feeding habits.
Indian flying fox | Distribution and habitat
, the corsac fox is listed as least concern in the IUCN Red List.
Corsac fox | Threats
Rodents noted in a study in Pondicherry were "Tatera indica", "Golunda ellioti", "Rattus" sp., "Mus booduga" and "Bandicota bengalensis". Bats were also preyed on. In Pakistan, "Nesokia indica" is an important prey item in their diet. Mammals the size of a Black-naped hare "Lepus nigricollis" may be taken. In Pakistan, they have been found to take "Lepus capensis" and "Eupetaurus cinereus". When feeding on rodents, they tear up the prey rather than swallow them whole. Captives feed on about 61g of prey per day.
Indian eagle-owl | Behaviour and ecology
The black flying fox is not listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List; nevertheless, the species is exposed to several threats, including loss of foraging and roosting habitat, and mass die-offs caused by extreme temperature events. When present in urban environments, black flying foxes are sometimes perceived as a nuisance. Because their roosting and foraging habits bring the species into conflict with humans, it suffers from direct killing of animals in orchards and harassment and destruction of roosts. In Indonesia, this species is frequently consumed as bushmeat, with concerns that the population loss might not be sustainable.
Black flying fox | Conservation
The fennec fox is an omnivore, feeding on small rodents, lizards, geckos, skinks, small birds and their eggs, fruits and also some tubers. It relies on the moisture content of prey, but drinks water when available. It hunts alone and digs in the sand for small vertebrates and insects. Some individuals were observed to bury prey for later consumption and searching for food in the vicinity of human settlements. In the Algerian Sahara, 114 scat samples were collected that contained more than 400 insects, plant fragments and date palm "Phoenix dactylifera" fruits, remains of birds, mammals, squamata and insects.
Fennec fox | Hunting and diet
The species is often plagued by Mycoplasma haemocanis. The already endangered fox is prone to this infection because the infections bacteria then attaches itself to surface red blood cells of many mammals, and although the species is believed to be no major threat to human life this infection can spread to humans, dogs, cats, and other wildlife species. The bacteria also seems to spike when located closer to any major habitat inhabited by humans as well as where there is a large population of wild dogs present near the species. Researchers are testing RNA subunits of RNase P gene and out of 10 foxes, 9 were infected.
Darwin's fox | Diseases
Its diet includes mice, ground squirrels, rabbits, hares, bird eggs, and insects, and it has claimed habitats in open areas, golf courses, drainage basins, and school grounds.
Fox | Urban foxes
But Bengal florican ("Houbaropsis bengalensis"), which is in the threatened list of IUCN is one of the flagship species in the park with a population 30-40 (recorded second highest concentration as per Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)) and is in the threatened list of IUCN. Migratory birds as far as from America such as the milky American white pelicans have also been reported in the park.
Orang National Park | Avian fauna
Red foxes may prey on domestic rabbits and guinea pigs if they are kept in open runs or are allowed to range freely in gardens. This problem is usually averted by housing them in robust hutches and runs. Urban foxes frequently encounter cats and may feed alongside them. In physical confrontations, the cats usually have the upper hand. Authenticated cases of foxes killing cats usually involve kittens. Although most foxes do not prey on cats, some may do so, and may treat them more as competitors rather than food.
Red fox | Livestock and pet predation
Although the abundance of the pale fox is unknown, it seems to be a common species throughout its wide range. No particular threats have been identified although this fox is sometimes hunted because it raids villages and takes poultry, and it is sometimes killed by vehicles at night. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Pale fox | Status
It primarily feeds on Afghan voles. When these are scarce, it will target invertebrates such as termites, beetles and grasshoppers. Plant food eaten by the Turkmenian fox includes pistachios, capers, watermelon, various grasses and seeds. Unlike most other red fox subspecies, the Turkmenian fox often hunts during the day, thus coinciding with the activity patterns of great gerbils. It may build temporary burrows in its desert environment, dug with an entrance facing south in order to shield itself from northerly winds. Turkmenian fox burrows have 3–5 entrances, but those located in appropriated gerbil colonies may have up to 15. Its reproduction is much more prolonged than that of northern foxes; pairs are formed in November, and begin mating throughout December and January.
Turkmenian fox | Behaviour
The small flying fox is rated as being near-threatened by the IUCN. It has a wide range and is generally abundant and faces no major threats as a whole. In some areas it is threatened by deforestation and tourism-related activities and in the Philippines and elsewhere it is hunted for food. It is also regarded as a pest by farmers whose crops are raided.
Small flying fox | Status
Predators of adults include pythons, mammalian predators and birds. A number of ectoparasites and endoparasites are recorded.
Bengal monitor | Ecology and behaviour
Cases, where they've followed peafowl to their roosts and then pulled them out at sundown, have been reported. It also consumes an array of mammals, from small rodents to large prey such as apparent adults of golden jackals ("Canis aureus"), hares ("Lepus" ssp.), large Indian civets ("Viverra zibetha"), Indian spotted chevrotains ("Moschiola indica"), and even young muntjacs ("Muntiacus" sp.). These larger mammals are likely as much as or even more. While most reported prey appear to be largely terrestrial, they are known to capture arboreal prey including Indian giant squirrel ("Ratufa indica") and juvenile purple-faced langur ("Trachypithecus vetulus"). Additionally, they are considered a potential threat to toque monkeys ("Macaca sinica"), and one apparently caught an Indian flying fox ("Pteropus giganteus") from its tree roost.
Spot-bellied eagle-owl | Diet
A possible cause is the decrease of tigers/leopards due to local poachers as these predators were responsible for keeping such animals under control.
Jaisinghpur | Nature and agriculture
Smaller mammals include the Indian crested porcupine, European otter, goral, civet, hedgehog, Himalayan field rat, Hodgson's giant flying squirrel, wild boar, masked palm civet and Sikkim mountain vole. Birds found here include several endangered species such as the golden eagle, the steppe eagle and the black eagle, the bearded vulture, the Himalayan snowcock, the Himalayan monal pheasant, the cheer pheasant and the western tragopan. Smaller birds include owls, pigeons, minivets, thrushes, warblers, bulbuls, parakeets, cuckoos, tits, buntings and finches.
Govind Pashu Vihar National Park | Fauna
Alternatives to culling include placing barriers between the bats and fruit trees, such as netting, or harvesting fruit in a timely manner to avoid attracting as many flying foxes. Preventing fruit loss may also involve the use of scare guns, chemical deterrents, or night-time lights. Alternatively, planting Singapore cherry trees next to an orchard can be effective, as flying foxes are much more attracted to their fruits than many other orchard crops.
Indian flying fox | As pests
While it is assessed LC (Least Concern) by the IUCN 2009, the assessment currently requires updating. The Bengal monitor is listed as Appendix I of CITES and Schedule I of the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act. The wild population is decreasing as it is hunted for both consumption and medicinal purposes. As it is adaptable to a range of habitats, the threat of habitat degradation is relatively less prominent and is superseded by the threat of agricultural pollution, as pesticides reduce the availability of prey. In Iran, it is also sometimes killed due to being seen as a dangerous threat.
Bengal monitor | Conservation
It is similar in habits to the hill fox, but its diet is more carnivorous than that of other subspecies, and its prey is more restricted to gerbils and sand rats, due to the more barren habitat it occupies.
White-footed fox | Behavior
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) lists the fox as not threatened by extinction. The IUCN lists the crab-eating fox as being of "Least Concern".
Crab-eating fox | Status of conservation
In some areas, farmers consider them pests as they sometimes feed on their orchards. This species is also hunted for bushmeat in Indonesia, contributing to its decline.
Large flying fox | Conservation
Fox snakes are constrictors and primarily feed on mice and other small rodents. They may also consume young rabbits, frogs, and eggs.
Pantherophis ramspotti | Diet
Cape foxes are omnivorous and will eat plants or animals. Although they prefer invertebrates and small mammals such as rodents, they are opportunists and known to hunt and eat reptiles, rabbits, spiders, birds, and young hares. They will also eat eggs, beetle larvae, and carrion, as well as most insects or fruits. Cape foxes have been reported to be able to kill lambs up to three months of age, although this is a rare occurrence.
Cape fox | Diet
The practice of date palm sap collection involves placing collecting pots at date palm trees. Indian flying foxes have been observed licking the sap as it flows into the pots, as well as defecating and urinating in proximity to the pots. In this way, humans who drink the palm sap can be exposed to the bats' viruses. The use of bamboo skirts on collecting pots lowers the risk of contamination from bat fluids. While Indian flying foxes have also tested positive for GBV-D, a type of flavivirus, it is unclear whether this virus occurs in humans or if it could be transmitted by Indian flying foxes.
Indian flying fox | Disease transmission
Threats include hunting and habitat loss from logging.
Talaud flying fox | Threats
The IUCN Red Data Book has listed "Gyps bengalensis" as "critically endangered". In winter 2012, 56 vultures in three species (Eurasian griffon, cinereous vulture, Egyptian vulture) and 10 steppe eagles were found dead at Jorbeer dumping site. Six Eurasian griffons were found dead in May 2013 due to dehydration and wing weakness. The area has been declared as a conserved forest area, but the dead animal dumping site is not part of the protected area. The dramatic vulture decline observed across India presents a range of ecological threats, by influencing the numbers and distribution of other scavenging species. Increased feral dog populations have been reported all over in India, posing many associated disease risks such as rabies to humans and wildlife.
Indian vulture crisis | Introduction
Among carnivorans, Bonelli's eagles have reportedly attacked red fox ("Vulpes vulpes") and wildcats ("Felis silvestris") (probably mostly kits and kittens of these two species) in western Europe as well as stone martens ("Martes foina") and assorted weasels. Meanwhile, adult Bengal fox ("Vulpes bengalensis") have reportedly been caught in India. In France and Spain, mammals overall comprised 34.8% and 26.1% of the diet, respectively, whereas in Georgia they made up 15.4% of the diet. Reptiles are usually secondary prey throughout the range. Though they are known to hunt snakes, Bonelli's eagles rarely hunt them and generally seem to pursue lizards by preference.
Bonelli's eagle | Other assorted prey
Their burrows are made at the base of boulders, at old beach lines and low slopes. Dens may have four entrances, with entrances being 25–35 cm in diameter.
Tibetan fox | Behaviour and ecology
The Indian flying fox is India's largest bat, and one of the largest bats in the world, weighing up to . Its body mass ranges from , and males are generally larger than females. The wingspan ranges from and body length averages . The wings rise from the side of the dorsum and from the back of the second toe, and its thumb has a powerful claw. It has claws on only its first two digits of its wings, with the thumb possessing the more powerful claw, and all five digits of its leg. It lacks a tail. The Indian flying fox ranges in color, with a black back that is lightly streaked with grey, a pale, yellow-brown mantle, a brown head, and dark, brownish underparts.
Indian flying fox | Description
Possible reasons for their decline include entanglement in agricultural nets and depredation by feral cats. It is speculated that they are threatened by competition with invasive species, including rats, white-eyes, and honey bees.
Bonin flying fox | Conservation
Fox's shaggy rat ("Dasymys foxi") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Nigeria. Its natural habitats are moist savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, swampland, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Fox's shaggy rat | Introduction
The tiger is a carnivore. It prefers hunting large ungulates such as chital, sambar, gaur, and to a lesser extent also barasingha, water buffalo, nilgai, serow and takin. Among the medium-sized prey species it frequently kills wild boar, and occasionally hog deer, Indian muntjac and grey langur. Small prey species such as porcupines, hares and peafowl form a very small part in its diet. Because of the encroachment of humans into tiger habitat, it also preys on domestic livestock. Bengal tigers occasionally hunt and kill predators such as Indian leopard, Indian wolf, Indian jackal, fox, mugger crocodile, Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, and dhole.
Bengal tiger | Hunting and diet
It is estimated that there are now 180 Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. The tigers regularly attack and kill humans who venture into the forest, human deaths ranging from 30–100 per year.
Sundarbans | Mammals
Ezo red foxes range widely from grassland to alpine belts in Hokkaido. They mainly eat rats, mountain hares, birds and insects. They also eat fruit and nuts in autumn. In tourist spots and in some urban areas there are individuals who feed on the street. They have also been observed feeding on the placenta of cattle in pastures or at disposal facilities. They dig holes or tunnels to make their lairs. The females give birth to kits in the early spring, which are grown and independent by late autumn. Males act independently and do not contribute to the raising of offspring.
Ezo red fox | Ecology
In the 21st century there are few large wild animals, mostly deer, wild boars, wildcats, and small numbers of Indian wolves, golden jackals, and red and Bengal foxes. Bengal tigers survive only in the Sundarbans area of the Ganges Delta. The Sundarbands freshwater swamp ecoregion, however, is nearly extinct. Threatened mammals in the upper Gangetic Plain include the tiger, elephant, sloth bear, and four-horned antelope ("Tetracerus quadricornis"). Many types of birds are found throughout the basin, such as myna, "Psittacula" parakeets, crows, kites, partridges, and fowls. Ducks and snipes migrate across the Himalayas during the winter, attracted in large numbers to wetland areas.
Ganges | Ecology and environment
Flying fox disperse seeds by dropping the seeds as they eat fruit, or through their feces. It takes 12–34 minutes for food to pass through the digestive tract of the species.
Sulawesi flying fox | Ecology
The species is vulnerable to diseases that may kill large numbers within a camp, and the sudden incidence of premature births in colonies is likely to significantly impact the re-population of the group; the cause of these disorders or diseases in unknown. Unsuitable backyard fruit tree netting also kills many animals and may bring them into close contact with humans, but can be avoided by using wildlife-safe netting. Barbed wire accounts for many casualties; this can be ameliorated by removing old or unnecessary barbed wire or marking it with bright paint. Recent research has shown, since 1994, more than 24,500 grey-headed flying foxes have died from extreme heat events alone.
Grey-headed flying fox | Threats
In the 1800s, its population was abundant. It is currently evaluated as endangered by the IUCN. At present, there is only one colony of this species remaining, and it consists of fewer than 200 individuals. The species is not protected, and the habitat that supports the remaining colony is not protected either. From 2016–2049, its population is expected to decline by 50%. Threats to this species include habitat destruction via deforestation and overhunting for bushmeat. Because it is a highly-colonial species, it is a popular target for hunters, and its population is vulnerable to drastic decline.
Black-bearded flying fox | Conservation
The bat-eared fox is predominantly an insectivore that uses its large ears to locate its prey. About 80–90% of their diet is harvester termites ("Hodotermes mossambicus"). When this particular species of termite is not available, they feed on other species of termites and have also been observed consuming other arthropods such as ants, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, millipedes, moths, scorpions, spiders, and rarely birds, small mammals, reptiles, and fungi (the desert truffle "Kalaharituber pfeilii"). The insects they eat fulfill the majority of their water intake needs. The bat-eared fox refuses to feed on snouted harvester termites, likely because it is not adapted to tolerate termites' chemical defense.
Bat-eared fox | Diet
Besides livestock, other mammals can also be found in dry grassland areas. It even is the biome with the highest density of Indian foxes (Vulpes bengalensis) in the world, but because of the lack of attention to conservation of dry grassland, research suggest that the Indian fox might become a threatened species in the future. Besides Canidae like the Indian fox, dry grassland can also be populated by Felidae and in particular Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi). This species can be found in the dry grasslands of Argentina and other parts of southern South America. Their main diet is small rodents, which are also common mammals in a dry grassland biome.
Dry grassland | Predators
At one time "C. f. falconeri" was assessed as being "endangered" but it is now rated as "near-threatened" as there are now estimated to be more individuals than was thought at one time. The 2011 estimate for the total population is around 5,800 individuals. These are divided into a number of sub-populations, only one of which numbers over 1000 individuals. The main threat it faces is being hunted. Even where the animal is protected by legislation as in Afghanistan, poaching takes place and the ban on hunting is not enforced. In India it is fully protected and is present in three wildlife reserves, the Limber Game Reserve, and the Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary and the Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuary.
Astor markhor | Status
Black flying foxes eat pollen and nectar from native eucalyptus, lilypillies, paperbark, and turpentine trees. When native foods are scarce, particularly during drought, the bats may take introduced or commercial fruits, such as mangos and apples. This species had been known to travel up to a night in search of food. In residential areas, the species has adapted to eating introduced cocos palm trees as a substitute for scarcer native species - and now accounts for around 30% of the animals' food source. However, the high acidity of the palm fruits can prove toxic and may lead to death.
Black flying fox | Diet
The mammals of the district include wolf and golden jackal whilst wild boar and monkeys (including hanuman) are seen frequently. Poisonous snakes such as Indian cobra, common krait and Russell’s viper, as well as dhamnas and harmless grass snakes are very common. The common avifauna of the district include red-vented bulbul, bluethroat, Indian robin and common myna. Other bird species include fowls, crows, munia, sparrow, cuckoo, Asian koel, parakeet, woodpecker, kingfisher, owl, vulture, eagle, kite, hawk, stork, duck, pigeon, falcon and heron. The low lying swampy areas are home to migratory birds in winter. The principal varieties fish caught are: rohu, mrigala, catla, kharke bata (reba), bhangan bata (bata), shrimp (smaller variety of prawn), maurala, pabda, tengra, bele, chela, punti, boal, aid, galda (large variety of prawn), vacha, chital, pholoi, khaira, fensa, silon, bhola etc.
Purba Bardhaman district | Fauna
The bat-eared fox has some commercial use for humans. They are important for harvester termite population control, as the termites are considered pests. They have also been hunted for their fur by Botswana natives. Additional threats to populations include disease and drought that can harm populations of prey; however, no major threats to bat-eared fox populations exist.
Bat-eared fox | Conservation threats
The population is estimated at 65,000, (although this was questioned by the IUCN Bat Specialist Group) and a 20% cull is authorised, which would possibly bring their numbers low enough to be reclassed as 'Critically Endangered' by the IUCN. After the 2015 cull, the species, previously classed as 'Vulnerable', was downgraded to 'Endangered'.
Mauritian flying fox | Threats
Darwin's fox has a vast diet. In dense forests, where it exists, the foxes hunt for mammals, reptiles, beetles, and invertebrates. Sometimes it selects fruits and berries. Birds and amphibians to a lesser degree are also consumed. It sometimes eats carrion, but it mostly eats live animals and fruit. This makes it mostly an omnivore, sometimes a scavenger.
Darwin's fox | Diet
When threatening another fox squirrel, they will stand upright with their tail over their back and flick it.
Fox squirrel | Behavior
This area has a small population of the endangered Chinese pangolin. For the avid bird watcher, there is a plethora of Himalayan bird life in the area, treepies, barbets, pheasants, flycatchers, sunbirds and orioles to name a few. Also different species of butterflies can be seen if one is lucky enough. There is also snakes wild boar black deer if lucky or unlucky one might get a chance to see a leopard.
Pokhriabong | Wildlife
Despite the Indian government classifying bats as vermin in the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, the Indian flying fox is sacred in India. In the Puliangulam village in India, a banyan tree in the middle of local agriculture fields is home to a colony of 500 Indian flying foxes. The bats are protected by the local spirit "Muniyandi", and the villagers make offerings of bananas and rice to the spirit and the bats.
Indian flying fox | In culture
Foxes and feral dogs are a threat to koalas, and Feral cats and foxes are a real danger to many threatened species within the Upland Swamp region. Bats are especially vulnerable to feral cat predators. Feral cats, foxes and mosquito fish ("Gambusia affinis") have been listed as creating key threatening processes (predation, competition and vegetation alteration) under the "Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995" (NSW). Chytrid fungus infecting frogs and feral deer causing environmental degradation (such as trampling and accelerating erosion), are also considered to cause threatening processes.
Dharawal National Park | Pests
In cities, red foxes may scavenge food from litter bins and bin bags, although much of their diet will be similar to rural red foxes.
Red fox | Distribution
They have played a major role in Southern Asia, being hunted for sport and for their meat and skin. Often, these animals are hunted around the outskirts of agricultural areas, as they are considered a nuisance for damaging crops and ripping bark from trees.
Indian muntjac | Threats
Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary hosts 17 mammalian species including large colonies of Indian flying fox. Indian giant squirrel was photographed for the first time in March 2016. A rusty-spotted cat was sighted in October 2013 preying on a bat. Among the other carnivores are the hyena, wolf and jackal. The Indian sloth bear is occasionally reported from the area. Besides civets, mongoose, porcupine and several species of rodents are found in the area. The area has also many varieties of reptiles as well, which include many venomous and non-venomous snakes. The python, crocodile and other herpetofauna also exist here. Birdlife is plentiful.
Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary | Fauna
This musk has an odor similar to that of the red fox; this is the origin of the common name "fox snake". As a last resort, these snakes may hiss loudly and strike at the threat.
Pantherophis vulpinus | Behavior
In India, the situation is similar to Africa. Monkeys, such as langurs, also enter cities for food, and cause havoc in food markets when they steal fruit from the vendors. In Mumbai, leopards have entered neighbourhoods surrounding the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and killed several people, as the park itself is besieged by a surrounding burgeoning population, where poaching and illegal woodcutting is rife.
Urban wildlife | India
None of the "Tiger Conservation Landscapes" within the Bengal tiger range is large enough to support an effective population size of 250 individuals. Habitat losses and the extremely large-scale incidences of poaching are serious threats to the species' survival. The Forest Rights Act passed by the Indian government in 2006 grants some of India's most impoverished communities the right to own and live in the forests, which likely brings them into conflict with wildlife and under-resourced, under-trained, ill-equipped forest department staff. In the past, evidence showed that humans and tigers cannot co-exist.
Bengal tiger | Threats
A number of endangered animals live in the forests of the Dooars (a montane forest of Northern West Bengal), like Bengal tiger and Indian rhinoceros. Other animals are Indian elephant, chital (spotted or axis deer), sambar, Indian muntjac, White-bellied musk deer, Indian hog deer, Indian pangolin, Chinese pangolin, masked palm civet, Malabar giant squirrel, Himalayan porcupine, clouded leopard, Indian leopard, and gaur. Some birds are Indian peacock, kalij pheasant, blood pheasant, yellow-footed green pigeon, chestnut-breasted partridge, scarlet minivet, satyr tragopan, fire-tailed myzornis, rufous-throated partridge, Darjeeling woodpecker, Bay woodpecker, Bengal florican, red junglefowl, dark-throated thrush, rufous-gorgeted flycatcher, white-gorgeted flycatcher, white-browed bush robin, white-tailed robin, yellow-browed tit, striated bulbul, chestnut-headed tesia, chestnut-crowned warbler, black-faced warbler, black-faced laughingthrush, chestnut-crowned laughingthrush, streak-breasted scimitar babbler, scaly-breasted cupwing, pygmy cupwing, rufous-fronted babbler, black-headed shrike babbler, white-browed shrike babbler, rusty-fronted barwing, rufous-winged fulvetta, brown parrotbill, fire-breasted flowerpecker, fire-tailed sunbird, maroon-backed accentor, dark-breasted rosefinch, red-headed bullfinch, gold-naped finch, golden-throated barbet, Hodgson's hawk cuckoo, lesser cuckoo, brown wood owl, ashy wood pigeon, mountain imperial pigeon, Jerdon's baza, rose-ringed parakeet, Rufous-necked hornbill, Oriental pied hornbill, Finn's weaver (Finn's baya), sunbird, spangled drongo, Indian paradise flycatcher (Himalayan subspecies), and great Indian hornbill.
Protected areas of West Bengal | Fauna
and "Urocyon" spp.), red-tailed hawks ("Buteo jamaicensis"), red-shouldered hawks ("Buteo lineatus"), great horned owls ("Bubo virginianus"), barred owls ("Strix varia"), and dogs ("Canis lupus familiaris"). Nestlings and young fox squirrels are particularly vulnerable to climbing predators such as raccoons ("Procyon lotor"), opossums ("Didelphis virginiana"), rat snakes ("Elaphe obsoleta"), and pine snakes ("Pituophis melanoleucus"). In those states where fox squirrels are not protected, they are considered a game animal. Fox squirrels were an important source of meat for European settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are still hunted over most of their range.
Fox squirrel | Mortality
Hunting by humans is no longer a serious threat. The eggs and chicks of the ducks were at risk from introduced brown rats which were eradicated in 2018 and are at risk from predatory birds, especially brown skuas. There is a record of an adult bird being killed and eaten by a leopard seal.
South Georgia pintail | Threats
This species is ground-dwelling and usually runs away from danger rather than taking to the air. It is generally seen singly or in pairs. In most of its range it is a resident species, but it migrates to the drier parts of India in the wet season, and similarly to the southeastern part of Russia, making its journeys by night. The diet includes green plant material, seeds, and a variety of insects including beetles, ants and grasshoppers. Breeding takes place between March and November, mostly in the wet season. The nest is a scoop in the ground lined with grasses and often roofed with bent-down plant stems, having an entrance at the side.
Yellow-legged buttonquail | Ecology