Where’s Wildlife · Mammal Field Guide
Vulpes vulpes
Pronounced (approx.): VUL-peez VUL-peez
A small wild canine with keen senses and a distinctive, flowing tail.
Red Fox. Select the image to browse all 4 photographs.
NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
Narrow, pointed face
Dark lower legs
Long, bushy tail usually tipped white
Compare views, markings and body shapes in the photographs below.
The familiar red form has rusty upperparts, pale underparts, dark lower legs and a white-tipped tail. Red Foxes also occur in other coat colors, so an animal need not be bright orange-red to belong to this species.
The relatively small body, narrow muzzle and long, full tail help separate a fox from a coyote. A white tail tip is a useful clue, but use several features together. Seasonal fur changes can make the same animal look slim in summer and much fuller in winter.
Red Foxes hunt small mammals and take other animal prey and fruit when available. They use woodland edges, grassland, farmland and some urban areas. A fox may pause, listen closely and then pounce toward hidden prey.
Foxes often forage alone, but a breeding pair can share a territory and raise young. The young begin life in a den and later play and explore near its entrance. Adults bring food as the youngsters develop their own hunting skills.
Coat color varies within the species.
Hunting often involves listening before a pounce.
A thick winter coat changes the apparent body shape.
The Red Fox has a broad range across the Northern Hemisphere. Regional populations, introductions and local habitat make its distribution more complicated than a single habitat label suggests.
Explore reported sightings on iNaturalist. Observation records are not a complete range map.