The Cape fox, Vulpes chama, also called the asse or silver-backed fox, is a small fox native to southern Africa and the only true fox in sub-Saharan Africa. It diverged early in the history of its genus and keeps primitive features. It occupies mainly arid and semi-arid country but reaches wetter, denser vegetation in places such as the fynbos of the western Cape. It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa and reaches south-western Angola and Lesotho. Nocturnal and most active around dawn and dusk, it is a fully omnivorous opportunist that eats small mammals, insects, birds, reptiles, carrion and fruit. Farmers hunt it as vermin because it is presumed to take lambs, yet its populations are described as stable across its whole range.
Facts
Classification
Population Trend ThreatsBiological Resource Use 1 Relationship to People Living or Extinct Conservation Status Body Size Band Activity Pattern Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Ecosystem
Source Cape fox (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Cape fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, AngolaQuote, Distribution, Angola
in south-western Angola
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Cape fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, BotswanaQuote, Distribution, Botswana
It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Cape fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, LesothoQuote, Distribution, Lesotho
It also occurs in Lesotho, a high mountainous region.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Cape fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, South AfricaQuote, Distribution, South Africa
It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Cape fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, ZimbabweQuote, Distribution, Zimbabwe
It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa
Sources
1. Cape fox (Wikipedia)
Behaviour, living species
The Cape fox is nocturnal and most active just before dawn or after dusk
Diet
Cape foxes are completely omnivorous and opportunists
Conservation
populations of V. chama are currently stable across their entire geographic range
Conservation, persecution
Many are hunted and persecuted as vermin.
Distribution, Zimbabwe
It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa
Distribution, Botswana
It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa
Distribution, South Africa
It is widespread in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa
Distribution, Angola
in south-western Angola
Distribution, Lesotho
It also occurs in Lesotho, a high mountainous region.
Child Taxon Of: Vulpes, Lead, genus
The Cape fox (Vulpes chama), also called the asse, cama fox or the silver-backed fox, is a small species of fox, native to southern Africa.
In Group: Dogs And Wild Canids, Lead, canid
The Cape fox (Vulpes chama), also called the asse, cama fox or the silver-backed fox, is a small species of fox, native to southern Africa.
In Ecosystem: Fynbos, Distribution
It primarily occupies arid and semi-arid areas, but in sections, such as the fynbos biome of the western Cape Province of South Africa, the species reaches areas of higher rainfall and denser vegetation.
View the Source2. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Vulpes chama
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
No special status
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List
Least Concern
View the Source 3. Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014): EltonTraits 1.0 mammal diet data
Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014)MamFuncDat.txt row Vulpes chama, BodyMass-Value (grams)Quote, MamFuncDat.txt row Vulpes chama, BodyMass-Value (grams)
Vulpes chama Canidae 30 0 0 0 70 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_1 ABC G A 1 0 0 Ref_1 ABC 2955.02
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