Searching for the Arabian red fox

Recently ran a cheap camera trap for a month or so in the eastern mountains of the UAE. I was looking for the Arabian red fox and wasn't disappointed.

Very interesting to see this subspecies and how it compares to the more familiar European red fox. These foxes typically weigh around 3 kilos, whereas urban foxes in Europe have been reported up to 14kg. Adaptations for surviving in the hot arid environment include a low mass to surface area ratio, large ears and hairs between paws to insulate from heat.

Like all red foxes they are opportunistic omnivores and probably benefit from exploiting resources available to them around human settlements. The individuals in the video above were recorded only a few kilometres from a town.