A red fox standing in grassland, showing its full body and bushy tail.

European red fox in grassland.

Creator: Photograph by Harley Kingston.

Licence: CC BY 2.0

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Species record

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Explore the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The Red Fox is a medium-sized member of the dog family. It has pointed ears, a narrow muzzle, a bushy tail, and a coat that can range from red to brown, grey, or black. Red foxes occur across much of the Northern Hemisphere and use woodland, farmland, grassland, scrubland, tundra, and urban habitats.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Chordates
  3. Subphylum: Vertebrates
  4. Class: Mammals
  5. Order: Carnivorans
  6. Family: Canidae
  7. Genus: Foxes
  8. Species: Vulpes vulpes

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
woodland, farmland, grassland, scrubland, tundra, urban areas
Selected regions
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America

Conservation status

The Ark records: Least Concern.

Did you know?

  • A red fox can stand still to listen and watch for a mouse it has detected.
  • Red foxes are often most active at night and around dawn and dusk, but they can also be seen during the day.

More images

Close-up of a red fox’s head and shoulders in snow.

Alaska red fox (close-up).

Creator: Photograph by Gregory “Slobirdr” Smith.

Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0

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Sources and attribution