# Bengal fox (*Vulpes bengalensis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/bengal-fox  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis), also called the Indian fox or Black-tailed fox, is a mammal in the family Canidae and the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial and nocturnal carnivore whose recorded habitat is shrubland. Adults weigh 2.7 kg as a representative value, with reported weights from 1.8 to 3.15 kg, and its lifespan is 9 years, with values up to 10 years. Gestation lasts from 51 to 53 days, a litter holds 3.5 young as a representative value, and the species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.8 kg – 3.15 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 9 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 10 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | shrubland |
| Gestation | 51 days – 53 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 3.49 |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.1 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Canidae
- genus: Vulpes
- species: *Vulpes bengalensis* (Shaw, 1800)

Synonyms: *Canis bengalensis*, *Canis kokree*, *Canis rufescens*, *Vulpes chrysurus*, *Vulpes hodgsonii*, *Vulpes xanthura*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the bengal fox?

The bengal fox is a mammal in the family Canidae, order Carnivora. It belongs to the genus Vulpes.

### How heavy is a bengal fox?

An adult Bengal fox weighs 2.7 kg as a representative value, with reported weights from 1.8 to 3.15 kg.

### What does the bengal fox eat?

The bengal fox is a carnivore. It is a terrestrial, nocturnal forager.

### What habitat does the bengal fox live in?

The bengal fox's recorded habitat is shrubland.

### Is the bengal fox endangered?

No. The bengal fox is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a bengal fox live?

The bengal fox's lifespan is 9 years, with values up to 10 years.

### How many young does a bengal fox have?

A bengal fox litter holds 3.5 young as a representative value, with 1.1 litters per year. Gestation lasts from 51 to 53 days.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/bengal-fox