(Vulpes corsak), a predatory mammal of the family Canidae. It is similar to the common fox, except it is smaller (body length, 50–60 cm; tail length 25–35 cm. The corsac has a pointed snout and large ears. It is rusty brown or gray, with a dirty white underpart and a dark-tipped tail. The corsac is found in the steppes and semideserts of southeastern Europe and Asia. In the USSR it ranges from the Northern Caucasus to the Baikal Region (north to 50° N lat). The corsac lives in burrows. Mating occurs in February, and in April the female gives birth to two to six cubs. Preying primarily on small rodents, the corsac some-times feeds on birds, other animals, or plants. It is useful to man owing to its destruction of rodents. The animal is valued commercially for its fur.