# Corsac Fox (*Vulpes corsac*) The Corsac Fox is a small, desert-dwelling fox with a beautiful sandy coat. It's known for its excellent digging skills and sharp sense of hearing, helping it find food and avoid danger in the vast desert landscape. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Desert - **Also known as:** Steppe Fox ![Corsac Fox](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426391/objects/6017.jpg) ## Appearance The Corsac Fox has soft, pale yellowish-grey to reddish-grey fur, often with a white chin and throat. Its belly is yellowish-white, and its bushy tail is tipped in dark brown. It has noticeably large, rounded ears relative to its head size. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Carnivora - **Family:** Canidae - **Genus:** Vulpes ## Interesting facts - Corsac foxes have excellent eyesight and hearing, helping them hunt at night or during twilight. - Corsac foxes often 'play dead' if caught by a predator, surprising their attacker for a chance to escape! - They rarely dig their own homes, preferring to live in abandoned burrows of marmots or badgers. - Unlike most foxes, they are more social, sometimes sharing dens and even hunting in small groups. ## Special abilities - **Super Hearing:** Corsac Foxes have huge, round ears that help them pinpoint tiny prey movements, even underground or in thick grass. - **Burrow Master:** Corsac Foxes can quickly dig burrows with strong claws to escape danger, find shelter, or create new homes. - **Thermal Coat:** Corsac Foxes have thick fur that provides excellent insulation, keeping them warm in freezing winters and cool in hot summers. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 45-60 cm - **Weight:** 1.6-3.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-6 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Litter Size:** 2-11 - **Gestation:** 50-52 days ## Diet & Feeding These small foxes munch on rodents, insects, birds, and sometimes even a little bit of plants! - **Primary Foods:** Gerbils, Voles, Pikas, Insects, Ground squirrels, Birds - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Great Gerbil (*Rhombomys opimus*) — a primary food source in its desert habitat. - **Hunts:** Daurian Pika (*Ochotona daurica*) — a common small mammal prey in its range. - **Eaten by:** Grey Wolf (*Canis lupus*) — a larger predator that preys on Corsac Foxes. - **Depends on:** Bobak Marmot (*Marmota bobak*) — Corsac Foxes use their abandoned burrows for shelter. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Steppe](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/steppe): This habitat trait describes species found in steppes, which are dry, treeless grasslands characterized by extreme seasonal temperature variations and low precipitation. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Admire these foxes from a distance and never try to touch or feed them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Corsac Fox? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Corsac Fox? 45-60 cm ### How much does Corsac Fox weigh? 1.6-3.2 kg ### How long does Corsac Fox live? 3-6 years ### How fast can Corsac Fox move? 60 km/h ### What does Corsac Fox eat? These small foxes munch on rodents, insects, birds, and sometimes even a little bit of plants! ### Where is Corsac Fox usually found? Desert ### How does Corsac Fox hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturschutz-tierpark-g-rlitz) — Saxony, DE · Zoo - [Natur- und Tierpark Brüggen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/natur-und-tierpark-bruggen) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Zoo - [Tier- und Kulturpark Bischofswerda](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-bischofswerda) — Sachsen, DE · Zoo - [Tierpark im Stadtgarten Recklinghausen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-im-stadtgarten-recklinghausen) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Zoo [View all places to see Corsac Fox](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/corsac-fox) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Corsac Fox: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/corsac-fox)