Ecology Of Bengal Fox (Vulpes Bengalensis) In Northwest Bangladesh

Authors

  • Ferdousi Akter Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Md Nazmul Bashar Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Md Aminur Rahman Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Meherun Nigar Sultana Department of Tourism Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan
  • Harun Ar Rashid Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Mohammad Abdur Rahman 3Bangladesh Forest Department, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of Bangladesh
  • Md Abdul Aziz Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/bjz.v51i1.67042

Keywords:

Key words: Bangladesh, breeding behaviour, canid, dens, feeding behaviour, Vulpes bengalensis

Abstract

The northwest regions of Bangladesh belong to the global range of Bengal fox, Vulpes bengalensis. However, scientific information on this small canid in Bangladesh is scanty; it also remains out of any conservation initiatives, and it is widely perceived as a potential threat to local poultry. We conducted this premier study between September 2019 and December 2021. We investigated the feeding and breeding behaviour of this fox by using scat samples, direct field surveys and camera-trapping. An analysis of 67 scats yielded eight major categories of prey items consumed by the fox. Arthropods (29%) ranked top in the relative percentage of occurrence, followed by rodents (27%), plant parts (17%), and birds (13%), among the others. Ninety-two percent of scats contained multiple food items, with an average number of food items per scat of 3.50± SE 1.87. We recorded 17 den sites in and around human-dominated landscapes, of which nine den sites remained unoccupied during the entire study period. Dens used by Bengal foxes were complex, comprising interconnected tunnels and holes with an average of 23.66± SD 12.78 holes/den. We estimated a total of 37 individuals of the fox, with 62% pups in the recorded population. The average litter size was 3.36± SE 0.52 pups. We recommend further research to assess population status and delineate its range in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh J. Zool. 51(1): 35-45, 2023

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
33
PDF
39

Downloads

Published

2023-09-18

How to Cite

Akter, F. ., Bashar, M. N. ., Rahman, M. A. ., Sultana, M. N. ., Rashid, H. A. ., Rahman, M. A., & Aziz, M. A. . (2023). Ecology Of Bengal Fox (Vulpes Bengalensis) In Northwest Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Zoology, 51(1), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjz.v51i1.67042

Issue

Section

Articles