Living Beings
    Source-identified Vulpes chama; documentary image Framed for display
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    Vulpes chama00.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Gerrie van Vuuren · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Field guide · species

    Cape Fox

    Vulpes chama

    AnimaliaMammaliaCarnivoraCanidae

    The Cape fox is a small southern African canid associated with open, dry country. It is a true fox in Vulpes and is distinct from the jackals that can share parts of its landscape.

    Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

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    Tree of lifeScientific lineage
    1. LifeLife
    2. DomainEukaryota
    3. KingdomAnimalia
    4. PhylumChordata
    5. ClassMammalia
    6. OrderCarnivora
    7. FamilyCanidae
    8. GenusVulpes
    9. SpeciesVulpes chama
    Advanced classification

    Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

    1. cellular organisms cellular root
    2. Eukaryota domain
    3. Opisthokonta clade
    4. Metazoa kingdom
    5. Eumetazoa clade
    6. Bilateria clade
    7. Deuterostomia clade
    8. Chordata phylum
    9. Craniata subphylum
    10. Vertebrata clade
    11. Gnathostomata clade
    12. Teleostomi clade
    13. Euteleostomi clade
    14. Sarcopterygii superclass
    15. Dipnotetrapodomorpha clade
    16. Tetrapoda clade
    17. Amniota clade
    18. Mammalia class
    19. Theria clade
    20. Eutheria clade
    21. Boreoeutheria clade
    22. Laurasiatheria superorder
    23. Carnivora order
    24. Caniformia suborder
    25. Canidae family
    26. Vulpes genus
    27. Vulpes chama species
    Open in taxonomy explorer ↗

    Physical traits

    A small body, pointed ears and a bushy tail are covered by a grizzled coat.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Habitat and range

    Dry savannas, semi-desert scrub and other open habitats are used rather than dense forest alone.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Diet and nutrition

    Small mammals, insects, reptiles and carrion contribute to its diet.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Behavior and activity

    Foraging is commonly solitary and concentrated at night. Food may be stored for later use, and pairs can associate without hunting together continuously.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Geographic distribution

    The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini?, Lesotho?.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Evidence

    Sources

    Connected life

    No reviewed ecological connections in the collection yet.

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