Vulpes Ferrilata (Carnivora: Canidae)

The canid Vulpes ferrilata Hodgson, 1842, is commonly called the Tibetan sand fox, or sand fox. It is widely distributed in the steppes and semideserts of the Tibetan Plateau north through central China. V. ferrilata has thick fur adapted for cold climate, and it occurs in semiarid to arid upland plains, on barren slopes and hills at elevations of 2,500–5,200 m, most typically above 3,500 m in China. It is hunted for pelts, which are manufactured into hats in Tibet, and hunting and habitat destruction are the main threats to populations of V. ferrilata in Sichuan Province, China. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (World Conservation Union) lists V. ferrilata as a species of “Least Concern.”