Desert Foxes Suffering From Mange – Free PDF Download

• Wildlife conservationists have expressed concern after locals spotted a few desert foxes, found in the scrub forests of Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, suffering from a loss of fur due to the mange skin disease.
• Conservationists said there were chances that the disease could spread to more individuals if no steps were taken to treat the infected foxes.

About Foxes in India

India is home to three fox species and three subspecies:

• The Indian Fox,
• Tibetan Sand Fox
• The Red Fox, which has three subspecies:
  • Desert Fox,
  • The Tibetan Red Fox and
  • The Kashmir Red Fox
• India’s fox species occupy a range of habitats, including arid areas, grasslands, agricultural fields and snow-capped mountains.
• The Red Fox is the most versatile in terms of habitat adaptation and can reside in open drylands as well as high-altitude areas.
• Even though their population is not threatened, the population of desert foxes has been in decline over the last decade.
• Cultivation and urbanization of lands has reduced their habitat areas and that threat will only get worse in the future.
• One of the biggest threats the desert fox faces is disease from domestic animals like dogs, which prove fatal to them.

Foxes statistics

• There were 8,331 foxes — both Indian and desert foxes — in the state according to the 2019 wildlife census of Rajasthan.
• There were 6,715 in the territorial area and 1,616 in protected areas. There were 386 foxes in the Desert National Park (DNP) and 317 outside it in Jaisalmer.
• About Desert Fox Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes pusilla
• Desert Fox or the White-footed Fox is one of the most widely-distributed carnivores in the world.
• They are a subspecies of the Red Fox and are generally found in the desert regions of northwest India.
• The yellowish-brown coat of the Desert Fox helps them camouflage against the brown hues of their habitat.
• Desert Foxes mainly feed on rodents and gerbils by digging them out of their burrows or stalking and hunting them.
• They are known for the complex dens they create during the breeding season to protect newly-born pups.
• In the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), the Indian desert fox is a Schedule I species.
• Desert fox can be seen in the Desert National Park and Tal Chhapar Sanctuary (specially the Guashala region) in Rajasthan.
• Gujarat’s Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Little Rann of Kutch, also hosts the desert fox.

What is Mange Skin Disease?

• Sarcoptic mange is caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. When the infected animal scratches and the skin breaks, it lays eggs and multiplies.
• The affected area becomes scabbed and no hair grow there

• Mange in desert foxes is not a big problem. These are sporadic cases, not an outbreak.
• The parasitic mite that causes mange lives in the hair follicles and causes irritation and itching.
• Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious skin disease which can affect a variety of wild, domestic and farmed animals.
• The disease spreads from one individual to another and we have been spotting 8-10 infected individuals every year, which clearly indicates that the disease is spreading.
• It spreads over the whole body and causes itching. When this happens, the animals keep scratching all day long. It ruins their appetite and ultimately, they die of infection in the wounded areas, coupled with starvation.

Treatment

• The only way to treat them is to catch them, which is a big task. The disease was self-limiting and did not cause death.
• Though people suggest mixing the medicine in water bodies where these foxes drink from, but it is not a good solution as other animals drink from the same water bodies and if they drink too much water, it may cause an overdose of the medicine in the animals too.

Question:
Which of following species are recognized as endangered species in India?

1. Himalayan brown bear
2. Lion tailed macaque
3. Desert fox
4. Wild Asiatic Buffalo

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