Horváth Géza (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 23. (Budapest 1926)

Ognev, S. I.: A systematic review of the mammals of Russia

A. A. BRAUNER (1. c, 1914, p. 14), gives the following description of V. v. krymea-montana. This mountainous fox is remarkable by its small size, its large head in comparison with the body, and rather large bones. Its head is big and broad, in its brain-parts, as well as in the face and the zygomatic parts; the muzzle is short. „It seems" — BRAUNER adds — „that the hind paw of the mountainous fox is smaller than the length of the head, whilst with the steppe and the forest foxes it is the reverse." Length of head of the fox of the Crimean mountains reaches 17 cm, whilst length of body without head is 52 cm; length of body without head of the forest South-Russian fox is 56"5 cm, which corresponds to length of head of 17*4 cm; on the average to length of body without head of 54 cm corresponds length of head of 15 cm. Further, the mountainous fox with basal length of skull 130'5 mm, length of shoulder-bone 8 cm, length of fore-arm (leg) 121, length of femur 12'5; the types of the forest and the steppe with a similar head have length of shoulder-bone 8*4 and 87, of fore-arm (leg) 12"7 — 12'7, of femur 131 — 131 cm. Geographical distribution. — Mountainous forests of the Crimea and also the Crimean Jaila. Vulpes vulpes caucasica DINNICK (1914). North-Caucasian fox. 1887. Vulpes vulgaris ROSSIKOV, A review of the Mammals of the Malka river valley, Memoirs of the Academy Imp. of St-Petersb., LIV. p. 40—42. 1896. Vulpes alopex SATUNIN, Zoologische Jahrbücher, IX, p. 292. 1914. Vulpes alopex varietas caucasica DINNICK, Mammals of the Caucasus. II, p. 449. 1915. Vulpes vulpes varietas caucasica SATUNIN, Mammals of the Caucasus, I, p. 263. Type locality. — District of Vladicaucasus (see DINNICK, 1. c. p. 448). Diagnosis. — Colouring changeable, belonging to three principal types: 1. The grey form with a predomination of a whitish-grey tint on the back part. This grey colouring shows clearly forth on the basal brownish-red ground of the fur. On the superior part of the central region of the neck a visible blackening of the fur and a blackish crosslike design, embracing the region of the shoulders. Between the eye and the tip of the nose some individuals have a stripe of blackish-brown fur. White-bellied foxes. 2. The brown form differsby: a diminution of the silvery-grey pattern, in place of which there is a brown or rusty-brown one; an encreased blackness of the fur, especially in the middle of the upper