# Cape fox (*Vulpes chama*)

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

The cape fox (Vulpes chama) is a mammal in the family Canidae, order Carnivora, and genus Vulpes. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial, nocturnal carnivore with an adult body mass of 2.96 kg and up to 3.46 kg. Gestation lasts from 51 to 53 days, litters average 2.9 young, and sexual maturity comes at 311 days, or 10 months. Its lifespan is 10 years, up to 10.65 years, and the IUCN Red List classes it as Least Concern, not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2.96 kg – 3.46 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 10 years – 10.7 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 51 days – 53 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.88 |
| Age at maturity | 10.2 months |
| 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 chama* (A. Smith, 1833)

Synonyms: *Canis chama*

## Common questions

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

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

### How heavy is a cape fox?

An adult Cape fox weighs 2.96 kg, with the highest value reported at 3.46 kg. It falls in the medium size class.

### What does the cape fox eat?

The cape fox is a carnivore. It is terrestrial and nocturnal.

### Is the cape fox endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List classes the cape fox as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a cape fox live?

The cape fox has a lifespan of 10 years, with the highest value reported at 10.65 years.

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

A cape fox litter averages 2.9 young, after a gestation period of 51 to 53 days.

### What other names does the cape fox have?

Other English names are Asse, Cama fox, Silver fox, Silver jackal and Silver-backed fox.

### Who named the cape fox?

The scientific name Vulpes chama is credited to (A. Smith, 1833).

## 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: Cape fox (Vulpes chama). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/cape-fox