Vulpes rueppellii (Schinz, 1825).

A small fox with a head-and-body length about 40-52 cm; the tail length is 25-39 cm; height at the shoulder is 30 cm. It is slender with large ears; the back is grizzled reddish, sides are buffy grey and underparts are pale. The bushy tail is tipped white. Rüppell’s Sand Fox is the most ubiquitous Egyptian fox and is found in the sandy or stony desert, often far from vegetation, as well as in vegetated areas and oases of the Western Desert. This fox eats rodents, lizards, small birds, insects, dates, and even carrion. It is said to be able to climb the date palms to get the fruit. Monogamous pairs usually share a den; the female always shares the den with her two or three young. Its range extends across North Africa and the Middle East as far as Iran and Afghanistan. In Egypt, it is found throughout the Eastern and Western Deserts and South Sinai.