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Source-identified Vulpes pallida; documentary image

Pale Fox

Vulpes pallida

Source-identified Caracal auratus; documentary image

African Golden Cat

Caracal auratus

Pale fox (Vulpes pallida).jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Mourad Harzallah · CC BY 4.0

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How to compare two organisms

Choose two species and trace their closest shared group. Then compare a trait with the same definition on each side. Check the units, life stage and context before interpreting a measurement or range.

Missing data means that the collection lacks a sourced value. Where a characteristic does not apply to a lineage, the comparison labels it separately. Open the two profiles for context and follow their sources before drawing a conclusion.

Evidence from the profiles

Compare their characteristics

TraitPale FoxAfrican Golden Cat
Physical traitsA pale coat, narrow muzzle and long bushy tail contribute to its appearance.The body is robust and the coat varies between reddish and grayish forms. Spotting can be more visible on some parts of the body.
Habitat and rangeDry country with suitable ground for shelter and access to food provides habitat.Dense African forest and secondary growth provide cover and hunting habitat.
Diet and nutritionSmall vertebrates, insects, eggs and plant foods are reported in its omnivorous diet.Rodents and other forest mammals are important prey. Birds and additional small animals may also be taken.
Behavior and activityBurrows provide shelter, and activity is largely associated with nighttime. The limited evidence should not be read as a complete description of every population.It is generally solitary and difficult to observe in dense cover. Sparse observations should not be treated as a complete account of its daily behavior.
Geographic distributionThe Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, Guinea?.The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Benin?, Burundi?, Gambia?, Guinea-Bissau?, Kenya?, Rwanda?, Senegal?, Sudan?, Togo?.

Classification

Shared ancestry

Closest shared taxon: Carnivora.

  1. LifeLife
  2. DomainEukaryota
  3. KingdomAnimalia
  4. PhylumChordata
  5. ClassMammalia
  6. OrderCarnivora
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Sources from both profiles

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