A familiar russet-and-cream canid with the largest natural range of any wild carnivore. Their hearing is sharp enough to detect a mouse moving under deep snow, and their hunting "mousing pounce" rises 3 feet straight up.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora. It is present across the entire Northern Hemisphere, including most of North America, Europe and Asia, as well as parts of North Africa. Its range has expanded alongside human settlement, with the species having been introduced to Australia, where it preys on native small and medium-sized rodents and marsupials. The red fox is listed as of least concern on the IUCN Red List. Because of its impact on native species, it is also included on the list of the "world's 100 worst invasive species".
Source: Wikipedia — Red fox Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Slender medium-sized fox with sharply pointed muzzle; large erect triangular ears with black backs; orange-red coat; white throat, belly, and tail tip; black "stockings" on lower legs.
Similar species. Gray Fox (grizzled gray, black-tipped tail). Coyote (larger). Domestic dogs (variable).
Voice. Wide vocal range: sharp "wow-wow-wow" barks; eerie screeching scream during winter mating season; growls, whines, gekkers.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Small mammals (voles, mice, rabbits — ~60% of diet), birds, eggs, insects, fruits, carrion, garbage.
Behavior. Most widely-distributed canid in the world — native to most of Northern Hemisphere; introduced to Australia (where invasive) and southeastern Australia. Famously cunning — frequently the subject of folklore and idioms in cultures globally. Listens for prey under snow and pounces with characteristic high arc, sometimes leaping vertically up to 1 m to come down on hidden voles. Multiple color phases: red (most common), cross (red with dark line down spine and across shoulders), silver (almost black with silver-tipped guard hairs).
§ Range
Throughout most of North America, Europe, Asia, and parts of Australia
§ Habitat
Forest edges, grasslands, agricultural areas, suburbs
§ Threats
Vehicle strikes, mange (sarcoptic), rodenticide secondary poisoning, urban conflict.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the red fox is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Drive carefully at dusk. Avoid second-generation rodenticides. Don't feed wild foxes; keep small pets supervised.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Red fox
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Vulpes vulpes
- IUCN Red List · taxon 23062
- iNaturalist · taxon 42069
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Vulpes vulpes
§ Sources cited
- American Society of Mammalogists
- National Park Service
- Smithsonian National Zoo
- IUCN Red List 2016
