NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Pale Fox
Vulpes pallida (Cretzschmar, 1826)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Engraving of a pale fox
J. G. Keulemans · Public domain · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 320 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The pale fox (Vulpes pallida) is a species of fox found in the band of African Sahel from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east. It is one of the least studied of all canid species, in part due to its remote habitat and its sandy coat that blends in well with the desert-like terrain. The pale fox is distinguished by its light-colored fur and oversized ears, which enable it to excel in camouflage and survival in harsh environments.
Individuals of the species serve as key predators and scavengers. Despite being lesser known, the pale fox is considered a significant indicator of an ecosystem's health and a focal point for conservation interests.
Wikipedia contributors, Pale fox; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T01:38:30.544392+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Vulpes pallida (Cretzschmar, 1826)
- Name authority
- (Cretzschmar, 1826)
- Common name
- Pale Fox
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Canidae
- Genus
- Vulpes
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderCarnivora Bowdich, 1821
- suborderCaniformia Kretzoi, 1938
- familyCanidae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817
- genusVulpes Frisch, 1775
- speciesVulpes pallida (Cretzschmar, 1826)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Vulpes. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Blanford's FoxVulpes cana Blanford, 1877 | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tibetan FoxVulpes ferrilata Hodgson, 1842 | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Desert FoxVulpes macrotis Merriam, 1888 | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rüppell's FoxVulpes rueppellii (Schinz, 1825) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Swift FoxVulpes velox (Say, 1823) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bengal FoxVulpes bengalensis (Shaw, 1800) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cape FoxVulpes chama (A. Smith, 1833) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Corsac FoxVulpes corsac (Linnaeus, 1768) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cross FoxVulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| FennecVulpes zerda (Zimmermann, 1780) | CanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Canis pallidus Cretzschmar, 1826 Cretzschmar, 1826 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=621863 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:5BSFY. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.