in the west to Egypt and Djibouti in the east. The species is also found in Algeria, central Niger, Libya, northern Chad, Egypt, southern Sudan, the arid lowlands of Ethiopia and northern Somalia. It is common in Arabia, except on the coast of the Red Sea and in the mountainous outskirts. It is also found in the Arabian Peninsula southwards from Syria, Israel, Jordan and Iraq, and as far east as Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Within this region, it prefers sandy or rocky deserts, but may also be found in semiarid steppes and sparse scrub. It is assumed that the distribution areas have changed historically with desertification and are mainly limited by competition with the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and by human settlements. In 2007, an expansion of the occurrence of foxes in the United Arab Emirates was documented through the first sighting of the species in Al Dhafra in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It seems to avoid the extreme arid regions in the middle of the Sahara, being more abundant on the fringes, in mountain massifs and near oases. Annual rainfall in the region of distribution of the species is normally between 100 and a maximum of 240 mm per year, mostly on the northern edge of the Sahara with a maximum of 150 mm per year. In Tunisia, the Rüppell's fox occurs in the Saharan habitat in Jebil National Park and possibly farther to the south-west. Behavior and ecology Rüppell's foxes are monogamous and either crepuscular or nocturnal. They usually spend the day resting in their underground dens, but in winter they are occasionally active during the day. In Tunisia's Jebil National Park, recent research has shown a prodominently nocturnal activity pattern with very rare crepuscular observations preceding sunrise. They use two different types of burrows, which are strictly separated: the breeding dens and the resting dens. Outside of the breeding season, these are small dens that can hold only one adult fox, and the fox changes dens frequently, on average about every 4.7 days. Breeding dens are larger, and occupied by a pair of adults and their kits. Such dens can sometimes have more than one entrance, although this is unusual. They make a series of short barks during mating and, at other times, can also produce hisses, trills, and sharp whistles. They have been reported to wag their tails, like domestic dogs. Rüppell's foxes occupy