habitat_narrative
Terrestrial
Cape Foxes mainly occur in open country with habitats including grassland, grassland with scattered thickets, and lightly wooded areas, particularly in the dry Karoo regions, the Kalahari and the fringes of the Namib Desert (Stuart & Stuart 2008). Other habitats that the Cape Fox has been recorded in include the Kimberley Thorn Bushveld, Eastern Mixed Kama Karoo and Dry Sandy Highveld Grassland. Along the eastern areas of the Namib Desert (Namibia) they occupy rock outcroppings and inselbergs, ranging out onto bare gravel plains at night (Stuart 1975). In Botswana, the species occurs in Acacia scrubland, short grassland (specifically on the fringes of shallow seasonal pans), and cleared and overgrazed areas (Smithers 1968; Skinner & Chimimba 2005). In the Western Cape, they also occur in moderately dense vegetation in the lowland fynbos. Cape Foxes also occur in extensive agricultural lands, lying in surviving patches of natural vegetation during the day and foraging on arable and cultivated fields at night (Stuart 1981). In the central Karoo area of South Africa, Cape Foxes occupy the plains and the low rocky ridges and isolated rock outcroppings. Lynch (1975) recorded that in the Free State, Cape Foxes were most abundant in areas which had less than 500 mm of rainfall. However, in KwaZulu-Natal they have been recorded between 1,000 and 1,500 m asl, where rainfall is roughly 720â760 mm per year (Rowe-Rowe 1992).They are good diggers and often dig their own dens for shelter, or use those of other species, such as Springhares (Pedetes capensis), especially during the pup-rearing period (Kamler & Macdonald 2014). At other times of the year they are more likely to use daytime shelter above ground in thickets, dense bushes, and hollowed termite mounds (Skinner & Chimimba 2005; Kamler & Macdonald 2014). During the night they hunt in a variety of habitats, often using habitat types in proportion to availability within their home ranges, although they generally prefer more open habitats at the landscape level (Kamler et al. 2012). Due to habitat transformation by humans, they have been found in more mountainous or rocky areas compared to their historical occurrence.
Cape Foxes have omnivorous diets, although their main prey items are small rodents, and other common food items are hares, insects, birds, reptiles, wild fruit, and carrion (Bothma 1966; Skinner & Chimimba 2005; Kamler et al. 2012; Klare et al. 2014). Although Cape Foxes have been documented to kill lambs (Bester 1982), the level of predation is uncertain as much of the consumption may be from carrion (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). They forage solitarily and primarily at night. Cape Foxes live in monogamous pairs, with occasional helpers, and have stable home ranges that vary from 3â30 km2 depending on local food resources and numbers of Black-backed Jackals (Bester 1982; Kamler et al. 2013; Kamler & Macdonald 2014). Although humans are likely their main source of mortality, natural mortalities result from predation by larger carnivores, especially Black-backed Jackals (Kamler & Macdonald 2014).
Ecosystem and cultural services: This is a charismatic species and sometimes is used in marketing of wilderness areas (for example, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park). Individual Cape Foxes consume nearly 4,000 rodents / year, therefore this species is likely beneficial to farmers and livestock owners in South Africa (Klare et al. 2014); for example, in vineyards in the Western Cape, where rodents are considered problematic. Similarly, in North West Province, a Cape Fox was recently observed feeding on a gerbil, which demonstrates its role in controlling such species with the potential for population explosions (Power 2014).
Cape Foxes, along with Aardvark (Orycteropus afer), Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) and Bat-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis) dig holes in hard-capped soils in Karoo shrubland and inter-dune pans to create microsites where detritus and water accumulate and seed germination is significantly increased (Dean & Milton 1991), thus promoting habitat structure.
