Vulpes corsac (Carnivora: Canidae)

Comparative Craniometric Measurements of Two Sympatric Species of Vulpes in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia

“…Researchers have studied the morphology and craniometrics of red foxes and, to a lesser extent, corsac foxes in other parts of their ranges (Ognev, 1962;Sokolov & Orlov, 1980;Churcher, 1960;Huson & Page, 1979;Lups & Wandeler, 1983;Fairly & Bruton, 1984;Hell et al, 1989;Ansorge, 1994;Lynch, 1996), but few published details exist on the cranial measurements of these species in Mongolia. Previous work found that corsac foxes demonstrated a smaller total skull length than do red foxes, whose skulls range from 140-150 mm (Lariviere & Pasitschniak-Arts, 1996, Clark et al, 2009). In addition, corsac foxes have a less-developed and lower sagittal crest, a more gradually tapering rostrum, and smaller, fl atter auditory bullae than do red foxes (Sokolov & Orlov, 1980;Sheldon, 1992;Clark et al, 2009).…”

“…The corsac fox diff ers in body size from sympatric congeners in the overlapping parts of their ranges. Corsac foxes may reach the body mass of the smallest red foxes, but generally corsac foxes are much smaller than red foxes, whose body mass ranges from 3-14 kg (Lariviere & Pasitschniak-Arts, 1996;Clark et al, 2009. Red foxes display sexual dimorphism in body weight and proportions in many areas (Kolb & Hewson, 1974;Lups & Wandeler, 1983;Wandeler & Lups, 1993;Macdonald & Sillero-Zubiri, 2004), including diff erences between male and female red fox skulls from several diff erent regions (Churcher, 1960;Huson & Page, 1979;Lups & Wandeler, 1983;Fairly & Bruton, 1984;Hell et al, 1989;Ansorge, 1994;Lynch, 1996).…”

First confirmed record of the Corsac Fox,Vulpes corsac,from Iran and considerations on its status (Mammalia: Canidae)

“…The southern and western populations have been assigned to the Turkmen Corsac Fox, V. c. turcmenicus, at the subspecific level (Clark, Murdoch, Newman, & Sillero-Zubiri, 2009;Ognev, 1935). This subspecies is the smallest form of the species, with shorter, coarser winter fur of dirty-greyish colour and reddish tones (Heptner et al, 1967).…”

“…Iran is not listed as a country within the distribution of the Corsac Fox by Wozencraft (2005), but was cited later by Murdoch (2014). The various distribution maps of the species often include two separate patches as its distribution range in Iran: first, on the southeastern coast of the Caspian Sea near to the border with Turkmenistan; second, around Tejen basin near to the border with Afghanistan, though there is no record for the latter (e.g., Heptner et al, 1967;Poyarkov & Ovsyanikov, 2004;Clark et al, 2009;Hunter & Barrett, 2011;Murdoch, 2014). This fox species, which is called 'Roubaah-e Torkamani' (Turkmen Fox) or 'Roubaah-e Sar-dom-siaah' (Black-tipped Tail Fox) in Farsi (Harrington, 1977), has a dubious history of records within Iranian territory.…”

Survival and Cause‐Specific Mortality of Corsac and Red Foxes in Mongolia

“…2.5 kg), nocturnal canid that lives in the grassland, semidesert, and desert steppe environments of northern and central Asia (Allen 1938, Ognev 1962, Heptner and Naumov 1992, Clark et al 2009). Despite the species' large distribution, few details exist about its fundamental behavior and ecology (Clark et al 2009). Across most of its range, the corsac overlaps with the red fox.…”