Australian Fox

The Australian fox (Vulpes australius) is a species of fox native to Australia. The closest living relatives of Australian foxes is the similar-looking Cape foxes of Africa, suggesting that they both evolved from the same ancestors, with some spreading into southern Africa to evolve into Cape foxes and the others making their way into Australia, possibly through rafting and/or land bridges.

Description
Australian foxes are relatively small animals, being generally between 13 and 16 to 23 and 30 inches high. They have patches of grey, black and orange around their bodies and and have a long muzzle, with a large brush-like tail. The Australian fox has a slim body, with large claws specialized for digging.

Reproduction
The Australian fox reproduces once a year in late spring. Two months prior to estrus (typically December), the reproductive organs of vixens change shape and size. By the time they enter their estrus period, their uterine horns double in size. Sperm formation in male foxes begins in August to September, with the testicles attaining their greatest weight in December to February.

Behavior
Parental social structure is a mated pair and their offspring, and the young of the previous year remain in the family even after a new litter is born. Playing behavior is common, including among adults of the species, though this is usually more common in males as they tend to be less dominant and aggressive as females.

Mating is relatively an easy process, a female selects a male based on the health, agility and behavior. Females and occasionally males will fight each other for a selected mate. Unmated females tend to travel in loose packs consisting of a breeding pair, with one female being the dominant.

Conservation
The Australian fox is thought to help regulate populations of small mammals and gamebirds, and is known to feed on fruit. Predators of the Cape fox include hawks and owls, as well as dingos. They often succumb to diseases such as rabies and canine distemper, and in more recent times have started to become victims of traps set out for problem animals. A large number of Australian foxes are killed on the road by vehicles. Many are hunted and persecuted as vermin. Some may be mistaken for dingos and held responsible for livestock losses. Australian foxes also face competition from the highly-invasive red foxes, which are killing off some prey animals that Australian foxes normally hunt, that were brought from Europe as an attempt from humans to regulate to control the already-invasive European rabbits.

The conservationists have listed the Australian foxes as Near Threatened because of persecution, road kills, and invasive red foxes. There are conservation groups that are attempting to help the native Australian foxes through captive breeding, make safe paths for native Australian wildlife such as Australian foxes to cross roads, and the conservationists are trying to eradicate non-native red foxes.