Foxes are members of the dog family Canidae. They are small to medium-sized omnivorous mammals characterized by their long muzzles, pointed ears, and bushy tails. There are 37 known species of foxes which inhabit a wide range of habitats across the globe.
Fox species vary greatly in size, appearance, and behavior. The smallest fox is the fennec fox which weighs around 2 to 3.5 pounds as adults. The largest is the red fox which can weigh up to 24 pounds. Foxes also display significant diversity in coat color and pattern. Some species like the Arctic fox change coat color seasonally from white in the winter to brown in the summer. Others like the grey fox maintain the same grayish coat year-round.
While foxes are mostly solitary hunters, some species like the social fox can live in family groups. Their diets also range considerably between species with some being primarily carnivorous, others omnivorous, and a few specializing in fruits and insects. Despite this variability, foxes are incredibly adaptable animals found on every continent except Antarctica.
Here is an overview of the 37 known living fox species including key facts about their size, habitat, distribution, diet, and conservation status:
Fox Species of the Genus Vulpes
The genus Vulpes contains the most fox species, 12 in total. These true foxes are characterized by their dog-like muzzles, wide skulls, and fluffy tails. Species in the Vulpes genus include:
Red Fox
The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest and most widespread fox species. Red foxes inhabit a variety of biomes including forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts. They have a varied omnivorous diet consisting of small mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates, fruits, and vegetables. Red foxes have rusty reddish fur across the body with white underparts and black ear tips and limbs.
Corsac Fox
The corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) is a small fox adapted to live in steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia. They feed on rodents, pikas, birds, and reptiles. Corsac foxes have pale greyish fur with yellow tints and lighter undersides. They are smaller than red foxes at around 4 to 6 pounds in weight.
Tibetan Fox
Endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, the Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata) is well-adapted to high elevations. They inhabit alpine meadows and steppes above 13,000 feet. Tibetan foxes have soft, dense, woolly fur that is silver grey with lighter undersides. They are an opportunistic predator and scavenger of small mammals, birds, and carrion.
Blanford’s Fox
Blanford’s fox (Vulpes cana) is one of the smallest foxes weighing only 1 to 2.2 pounds as adults. It inhabits the Middle East region living in cliffs, rocky slopes, and plains areas. This species has light greyish fur with a black muzzle and ears and a long bushy tail with a black tip.
Cape Fox
The Cape fox (Vulpes chama) resides in open habitats of Southern Africa like scrublands and semi-deserts. They have sandy grey coats, black stripes on the legs, and a whitish tip on the tail. Cape foxes are omnivorous feeding on insects, rodents, birds, fruits, and tubers.
Pale Fox
The pale fox (Vulpes pallida) lives in the Sahel region of Africa between the Sahara desert and savannas. As their name suggests, pale foxes have very light coats that are creamy white to sand colored with tan accents. They inhabit arid grasslands and semi-deserts.
Bengal Fox
Native to the Indian subcontinent, the Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis) lives in short grasslands, scrublands, and forests of India, Nepal, and Pakistan. They have gray to rusty brown fur with a whitish bib and black markings on the ears and limbs. Bengal foxes are omnivores feeding on rodents, birds, fruit, termites, and carrion.
Rüppell’s Fox
Rüppell’s fox (Vulpes rueppellii) inhabits deserts, semi-deserts, and open woodlands of North Africa, the Middle East, and southwest Asia. They have sandy colored fur with faint black spots and stripes on the body and legs. Rüppell’s foxes are well adapted to arid environments.
Swift Fox
The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is a small prairie fox of central North America. They inhabit shortgrass plains, brush, and deserts. Swift foxes have grayish brown fur with rust coloring on the neck, legs, and underside. They are opportunistic omnivores feeding mainly on small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects.
Kit Fox
The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is a desert fox residing in arid habitats of southwestern North America. They have large ears, slim bodies, and bushy tails with black tips. Kit foxes have light gray to yellowish brown fur. They are primarily carnivorous feeding on kangaroo rats, rabbits, prairie dogs, birds, and reptiles.
Pribilof Island Arctic Fox
The Pribilof Island arctic fox (Vulpes pribilofensis) is a subspecies of the Arctic fox endemic to the Pribilof Islands in Alaska. It has a dark bluish-grey summer coat and pure white winter fur. The Pribilof fox inhabits tundra and coastal grasslands on the islands preying on seabirds, fish, and small mammals.
Island Fox
The island fox (Urocyon littoralis) is a diminutive fox native to the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. They are grayish in color and roughly the size of house cats at around 4 to 6 pounds. Island foxes feed on fruit, insects and small animals like mice and lizards. Six subspecies of the island fox inhabit the different Channel Islands in the archipelago.
Fox Species of the Genus Urocyon
The genus Urocyon contains two fox species native to North America distinguished by their gray colored coats and small body sizes. These species are:
Gray Fox
The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) ranges across most of the United States and Mexico inhabiting mixed woodlands, brushy areas and rugged terrain. They have salt and pepper gray fur, rusty coloring on the neck, sides and legs and a black tipped tail. Gray foxes have excellent climbing skills and primarily eat rodents, rabbits, birds, fruits and insects.
Island Fox
The island fox (Urocyon littoralis) is a diminutive fox native to the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. They are grayish in color and roughly the size of house cats at around 4 to 6 pounds. Island foxes feed on fruit, insects and small animals like mice and lizards. Six subspecies of the island fox inhabit the different Channel Islands in the archipelago.
Fox Species of the Genus Lycalopex
The genus Lycalopex contains six South American fox species closely related to the true foxes (Vulpes). Lycalopex foxes inhabit a variety of South American biomes from forests to grasslands to alpine areas. Species in this genus include:
Culpeo
The culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) is the largest South American fox species weighing up to 17 pounds. It is found across western South America in mountain forests, scrublands and savannas. Culpeos are grayish and rufous in color with reddish legs and undersides. They prey on small to mid-sized mammals, birds and reptiles.
Darwin’s Fox
Darwin’s fox (Lycalopex fulvipes) is an endangered fox inhabiting temperate forests and scrublands in southern Chile. They have gray fur with rusty reddish legs, ears and underside. Darwin’s foxes are omnivores that eat small mammals, insects, birds, fruits and seeds.
South American Gray Fox
The South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus) lives in open habitats across much of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. They have short gray and brown fur, a black nose and black ears and limbs. South American gray foxes will eat insects, mammals, birds, reptiles, eggs and fruits.
Sechuran Fox
The Sechuran fox (Lycalopex sechurae) is a small fox ranging along the west coast of South America from Ecuador to Peru. It inhabits arid forests and scrublands. The Sechuran fox has pale yellowish fur, a gray head and limbs and a bushy, black-tipped tail. Its diet consists mainly of insects and small mammals.
Hoary Fox
The hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus) is the smallest South American fox species and lives in the open cerrado grasslands of Brazil. It has a thin, gray coat with abundant black, white and rufous speckling giving it a “hoary” or frosty appearance. Hoary foxes prey mostly on insects and small rodents.
Pampas Fox
The Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) inhabits grasslands, scrublands and wooded savannas from southern Brazil through Uruguay and Argentina. They have gray coats peppered with black speckles and orangish legs, ears and neck. Pampas foxes feed on mammals, birds, reptiles, eggs, fruit and carrion.
Fox Species of the Genus Otocyon
The genus Otocyon contains a single fox species native to Africa.
Bat-eared Fox
The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) lives in short-grass plains and scrublands of eastern and southern Africa. Named for its large, bat-like ears, the bat-eared fox has grayish-brown fur with black legs and a white tip on the tail. It is an insectivore that primarily eats harvester termites and insects captured by pouncing on them with its front paws.
Fox Species of the Genus Atelocynus
The genus Atelocynus contains one fox species native to South America’s lowland tropical forests.
Short-eared Dog
The short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) is the only member of the genus Atelocynus. It inhabits lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin in South America. The short-eared dog has rusty reddish fur, a bushy tail, rounded ears and a fox-like face. This rare canid feeds on small mammals, birds and reptiles.
Fox Species of the Genus Cerdocyon
The genus Cerdocyon contains a single crabeating fox species from South America.
Crab-eating Fox
The crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) inhabits savannas, grasslands and forests from Colombia to Argentina. It has short, coarse gray and brown fur with reddish tones and legs and undersides. As its name implies, crabeating foxes feed heavily on crabs and other crustaceans in coastal areas. They also eat fruits, rodents, birds, turtles, eggs and carrion.
Other Fox Species
There are also 5 fox species in their own separate genera:
Arctic Fox
The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) lives in the Arctic region of the Northern Hemisphere in tundra and polar desert habitats. They have thick, insulating fur that is brown in summer and white in winter. Arctic foxes eat lemmings, voles, hares, birds, fish, and carrion.
Fennec Fox
The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is a tiny fox adapted to live in the Sahara desert of North Africa. They have oversized ears and cream colored fur. Fennec foxes eat insects, small mammals, birds and reptiles. They are the smallest fox species weighing only around 2 to 3.5 pounds.
Raccoon Dog
Despite its name, the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is not related to raccoons but is a true canid. Raccoon dogs inhabit forests and woodlands in East Asia and Europe. They have grayish coats and raccoon-like black face masks. Omnivorous raccoon dogs eat mice, amphibians, birds, insects, fruits and nuts.
Bengal Fox
The Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis) lives in short grasslands, scrublands, and forests of India, Nepal, and Pakistan. They have gray to rusty brown fur with a whitish bib and black markings on the ears and limbs. Bengal foxes are omnivores feeding on rodents, birds, fruit, termites, and carrion.
Pale Fox
The pale fox (Vulpes pallida) inhabits the Sahel region of Africa between the Sahara desert and savannas. It has very light fur that is creamy white to sand colored with tan accents. Pale foxes inhabit arid grasslands and semi-deserts.
Conclusion
In summary, there are 37 extant fox species grouped into 10 genera. Foxes demonstrate amazing diversity in size, appearance, habitat preferences, and diet across different species. While the dog-like foxes of the genus Vulpes are most widespread, foxes have adapted to thrive in habitats all over the world from the Arctic tundra to sandy deserts to South American jungles. Despite many species being under threat from habitat loss, foxes remain incredibly resilient creatures.
| Genus | Species |
|---|---|
| Vulpes | Red Fox, Corsac Fox, Tibetan Fox, Blanford’s Fox, Cape Fox, Pale Fox, Bengal Fox, Ruppell’s Fox, Swift Fox, Kit Fox, Pribilof Island Arctic Fox, Island Fox |
| Urocyon | Gray Fox, Island Fox |
| Lycalopex | Culpeo, Darwin’s Fox, South American Gray Fox, Sechuran Fox, Hoary Fox, Pampas Fox |
| Otocyon | Bat-eared Fox |
| Atelocynus | Short-eared Dog |
| Cerdocyon | Crab-eating Fox |
| Vulpes (monotypic) | Arctic Fox |
| Vulpes (monotypic) | Fennec Fox |
| Nyctereutes (monotypic) | Raccoon Dog |
| Vulpes (monotypic) | Bengal Fox |
| Vulpes (monotypic) | Pale Fox |
