The corsac fox (Vulpes corsac), also known simply as a corsac, is a medium-sized fox found in steppes, semi-deserts and deserts in Central Asia, ranging into Mongolia and northeastern China. The word "corsac" is derived from the Russian name for the animal, "korsák" (корса́к), derived ultimately from Turkic "karsak". This species is also known as the steppe fox.

The Corsac fox is a medium-sized fox, with a head and body length of 45 to 65 cm (18 to 26 in), and a tail 19 to 35 cm (7.5 to 13.8 in) long. Adults weigh from 1.6 to 3.2 kilograms (3.5 to 7.1 lb). It has grey to yellowish fur over much of the body, with paler underparts and pale markings on the mouth, chin, and throat. During the winter, the coat becomes much thicker and silkier in texture, and is straw-grey in colour, with a darker line running down the back. For a fox, it has small teeth and a wide skull.

One source claims that this species can climb trees and has been domesticated in the past. It is reported to have keen eyesight and hearing and an acute sense of smell.

Since 2004, it has been classified as least concern by IUCN, but populations fluctuate significantly, and numbers can drop tenfold within a single year.

(This species is sometimes referred to as the "sand fox", but this terminology is confusing because two other species, the Tibetan sand fox and Rüppell's fox, are also sometimes known by this name.)

See also:

• fox
• arctic_fox
• bengal_fox
• blanford's_fox
• cape_fox
• corsac_fox
• fennec
• kit_fox
• pale_fox
• red_fox
• silver_fox
• marble_fox
• platinum_fox
• pearl_fox
• rüppell's_fox
• swift_fox
• tibetan_sand_fox

Further reading:

Corsac Fox (Wikipedia)