View source for Red fox

{{Short description|Species of mammal}}
{{Other uses|Red Fox (disambiguation)}}{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Red fox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|0.7}} <small>Middle [[Pleistocene]] – present</small>
| image = Vulpes vulpes ssp fulvus.jpg
| image_caption = in [[Algonquin Provincial Park]], Ontario, Canada
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |title=''Vulpes vulpes'' |amends=2016 |author=Hoffmann, M. |author2=Sillero-Zubiri, C. |name-list-style=amp |year=2021|page=e.T23062A193903628|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T23062A193903628.en|access-date=17 February 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = G5
| status2_system = TNC
| status2_ref = <ref name="NatureServe">{{cite web|title=Vulpes vulpes|url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105935/Vulpes_vulpes|website=[[NatureServe]] Explorer|access-date=17 April 2024}}</ref>
| genus = Vulpes
| species = vulpes
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])<ref>{{cite book | last = Linnaeus | first = Carl | author-link = Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 |title=Caroli Linnæi Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis |volume=Tomus I |edition=decima, reformata |location=Holmiae |publisher=Laurentius Salvius |page=40 |chapter=''Canis Vulpes'' |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/mobot31753000798865#page/40/mode/1up |language=la}}</ref>
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision = {{center|[[#Subspecies|45 subspecies]]}}
| range_map = Wiki-Vulpes vulpes.png
| range_map_caption = Distribution of the red fox <div style="width:9em;margin:0 auto;text-align:left;white-space:nowrap;">{{legend2|#3c5604|native}}<br/>{{legend2|#491fbc|introduced}}<br/>{{legend2|#b46702|presence uncertain}}</div>
| synonyms = * ''Canis vulpes'' <small>Linnaeus,&nbsp;1758</small>
* ''Canis alopex'' <small>Linnaeus,&nbsp;1758</small>
}}

The '''red fox''' ('''''Vulpes vulpes''''') is the largest of the [[true fox]]es and one of the most widely distributed members of the order [[Carnivora]], being present across the entire [[Northern Hemisphere]] including most of [[North America]], [[Europe]] and [[Asia]], plus parts of [[North Africa]]. It is listed as [[least concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name=IUCN/> Its range has increased alongside human expansion, having been [[Foxes in Australia|introduced to Australia]], where it is considered harmful to native small and medium-sized rodents and [[marsupial]]s. Due to its impact on native species, it is included on the list of the "[[List of the world's 100 worst invasive species|world's 100 worst invasive species]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species |url=https://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/100_worst.php |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Global Invasive Species Database}}</ref>

The red fox originated in Eurasia during the [[Middle Pleistocene]] at least 400,000 years ago<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bartolini Lucenti |first1=Saverio |last2=Madurell-Malapeira |first2=Joan |date=May 2020 |title=Unraveling the fossil record of foxes: An updated review on the Plio-Pleistocene Vulpes spp. from Europe |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277379120302584 |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |volume=236 |pages=106296 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106296|bibcode=2020QSRv..23606296B |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and later colonised North America sometime prior to 130,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kutschera |first1=Verena E |last2=Lecomte |first2=Nicolas |last3=Janke |first3=Axel |last4=Selva |first4=Nuria |last5=Sokolov |first5=Alexander A |last6=Haun |first6=Timm |last7=Steyer |first7=Katharina |last8=Nowak |first8=Carsten |last9=Hailer |first9=Frank |date=2013 |title=A range-wide synthesis and timeline for phylogeographic events in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=114 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-13-114 |doi-access=free |issn=1471-2148 |pmc=3689046 |pmid=23738594|bibcode=2013BMCEE..13..114K }}</ref> Among the true foxes, the red fox represents a more progressive form in the direction of [[Carnivore|carnivory]].<ref name="mammals-of-ussr">{{cite book |last1=Heptner |first1=V. G. |last2=Naumov |first2=N. P. |title=Mammals of the Soviet Union |date=1998 |pages=115, 341–365, 453–502, 513–562 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |isbn=978-1886106819 |url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsofsov211998gept/page/115}}</ref> Apart from its large size, the red fox is distinguished from other fox species by its ability to adapt quickly to new environments. Despite its name, the species often produces individuals with other colourings, including [[Leucism|leucistic]] and [[Melanism|melanistic]] individuals.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Forty-five [[subspecies]] are currently recognised,<ref name=msw3/> which are divided into two categories: the large northern foxes and the small, [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] southern grey desert foxes of Asia and North Africa.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

Red foxes are usually found in pairs or small groups consisting of families, such as a [[mated pair]] and their young, or a male with several females having kinship ties. The young of the mated pair remain with their parents to assist in caring for new kits.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles">{{cite book |last1=Harris|first1=S. |last2=Yalden|first2=D. |name-list-style=amp |title=Mammals of the British Isles: Handbook |date=2008 |publisher=Mammal Society|location=Southampton|isbn=978-0906282656|edition=Fourth |pages=408–422}}</ref> The species primarily feeds on small rodents, though it may also target [[rabbit]]s, [[squirrel]]s, [[game bird]]s, [[reptile]]s, [[invertebrate]]s<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> and young [[ungulate]]s.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Fruit and vegetable matter is also eaten sometimes.<ref name="mammals-of-na">{{cite book|last1=Feldhamer|first1=G. |last2=Thompson|first2=B. |last3=Chapman|first3=J. |name-list-style=amp |title=Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management, and Conservation: Biology, Management and Economics |date=2003 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=9780801874161|pages=516–530 |edition=Second |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-xQalfqP7BcC}}</ref> Although the red fox tends to kill smaller predators, including other fox species, it is vulnerable to attack from larger predators, such as [[Wolf|wolves]], [[coyote]]s, [[golden jackal]]s, large predatory birds such as [[golden eagle]]s and [[Eurasian eagle owl]]s,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Red Fox Predators |website=Wildlife Online |url=https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/red-fox-predators |access-date=27 May 2021 |archive-date=10 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610135922/https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/red-fox-predators |url-status=live }}</ref> and medium- and large-sized [[Felidae|felids]].<ref name="Fedriani 1999">{{cite journal |author1=Fedriani, J. M. |author2=Palomares, F. |author3=Delibes, M. |name-list-style=amp |jstor=4222449 |year=1999 |title=Niche relations among three sympatric Mediterranean carnivores |journal=Oecologia |volume=121 |issue=1 |pages=138–148 |pmid=28307883 |doi=10.1007/s004420050915 |bibcode=1999Oecol.121..138F |citeseerx=10.1.1.587.7215|s2cid=39202154}}</ref>

The species has a long history of association with humans, having been extensively hunted as a pest and [[Fur#Common furbearers|furbearer]] for many centuries, as well as being represented in human folklore and mythology. Because of its widespread distribution and large population, the red fox is one of the most important fur-bearing animals harvested for the [[fur trade]].<ref name=bachrach>{{cite book|last1=Bachrach|first1=M. |title=Fur: A Practical Treatise|date=1953|publisher=Prentice-Hall|location=New York |edition=Third}}</ref>{{rp|229–230}} Too small to pose a threat to humans, it has extensively benefited from the presence of human habitation, and has successfully [[Urban foxes|colonised]] many [[suburb]]an and [[urban area]]s. Domestication of the red fox is also underway in [[Russia]], and has resulted in the [[domesticated silver fox]].

==Terminology==
[[File:Red fox kits (40215161564).jpg|thumb|Juvenile red foxes are known as kits.]]
Males are called tods or dogs, females are called vixens, and young are known as cubs or kits.<ref>{{Cite web|date=26 April 2012|title=10 Fascinating Facts About Foxes (With Photos)|url=https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-foxes-with-photos/|access-date=20 January 2022|website=PETA UK|archive-date=20 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120170402/https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-foxes-with-photos/|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the [[Arctic fox]] has a small native population in northern Scandinavia, and while the [[corsac fox]]'s range extends into [[European Russia]], the red fox is the only fox native to Western Europe, and so is simply called "the fox" in colloquial British English.

==Etymology==
The word "fox" comes from [[Old English language|Old English]], which derived from [[Proto-Germanic]] *''fuhsaz''. Compare with [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]] ''foks'', [[Dutch language|Dutch]] {{Lang|nl|vos}}, and [[German language|German]] ''{{Lang|de|Fuchs}}''. This, in turn, derives from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] *''puḱ-'' 'thick-haired; tail'. Compare to the [[Hindi]] ''pū̃ch'' 'tail', [[Tocharian B]] ''päkā'' 'tail; chowrie', and [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] ''{{Lang|lt|pūkas}}'' 'fur / fluff'. The bushy tail also forms the basis for the fox's [[Welsh (language)|Welsh]] name, ''{{Lang|cy|llwynog}}'', literally 'bushy', from ''{{Lang|cy|llwyn}}'' 'bush'. Likewise, {{langx|pt|raposa}} from ''rabo'' 'tail', Lithuanian ''{{Lang|lt|uodẽgis}}'' from ''uodegà'' 'tail', and [[Ojibwe language|Ojibwe]] ''waagosh'' from ''waa'', which refers to the up and down "bounce" or flickering of an animal or its tail.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

The scientific term ''vulpes'' derives from the Latin word for fox, and gives the adjectives ''vulpine'' and ''vulpecular''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vulpine|url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/vulpine|website=dictionary.com|access-date=9 July 2016|archive-date=12 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612234101/http://www.dictionary.com/browse/vulpine|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Evolution==
[[File:The contemporary land mammals of Egypt (including Sinai) (1980) Fig. 112.png|thumb|Comparative illustration of skulls of the red fox (left) and Rüppell's fox (right): note the more developed facial area of the former.]]
The red fox is considered to be a more specialised form of ''Vulpes'' than the [[Afghan fox|Afghan]], [[Corsac fox|corsac]] and [[Bengal fox]] species, in regards to their overall size and adaptation to [[Carnivore|carnivory]]; the skull displays far fewer [[Neoteny|neotenous]] traits than in other foxes, and its facial area is more developed.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> It is, however, not as adapted for a purely carnivorous diet as the [[Tibetan fox]].<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

The sister lineage to the red fox is the [[Rüppell's fox]], but the two species are surprisingly closely related through [[mitochondrial DNA]] markers, with Rüppell's fox nested inside the lineages of red foxes.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Basuony |first1=A. E. |last2=Saleh |first2=M. |last3=Hailer |first3=F. |date=2024 |title=Mitogenomic analysis of Rüppell's fox (''Vulpes rueppellii'') confirms phylogenetic placement within the Palaearctic clade shared with its sister species, the red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') |doi=10.1080/24701394.2024.2332320 |journal=Mitochondrial DNA Part A |volume=34 |issue=1–8 |pages=22–28|pmid=38584459 }}</ref> Such a nesting of one species within another is called [[paraphyly]]. Several hypotheses have been suggested to explain this,<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Basuony |first1=Ali E |last2=Saleh |first2=Mostafa |last3=Sarhan |first3=Moustafa |last4=Younes |first4=Mahmoud |last5=Abdel-Hamid |first5=Fouad |last6=Rodriguez Fernandes |first6=Carlos |last7=Vercammen |first7=Paul |last8=Aboshaala |first8=Faraj |last9=Bounaceur |first9=Farid |last10=Chadwick |first10=Elizabeth A |last11=Hailer |first11=Frank |title=Paraphyly of the widespread generalist red fox (Vulpes vulpes): introgression rather than recent divergence of the arid-adapted Rüppell's fox (Vulpes rueppellii)? |journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |date=2023 |volume=138 |issue=4 |pages=453–469 |doi=10.1093/biolinnean/blad001|doi-access=free }}</ref> including (1) recent divergence of Rüppell's fox from a red fox lineage, (2) [[incomplete lineage sorting]], or [[introgression]] of mtDNA between the two species. Based on fossil record evidence, the last scenario seems most likely, which is further supported by the clear ecological and morphological differences between the two species.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

{{clade | style = font-size: 90%;line-height:50%
   |1={{clade
      |1={{clade
         |1={{clade
            |1={{clade
               |1={{clade
                  |1={{clade
                     |1=[[Arctic fox]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXVI).jpg|50 px]]
                     |2=[[Kit fox]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXV).jpg|50 px]]
                     }}
                  |2={{clade
                     |1=[[Corsac fox]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXVII).jpg|50 px]]
                     |2={{clade
                        |1=[[Rüppell's fox]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXXV).jpg|50 px]]
                        |2={{em|Red fox}} [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXII).jpg|50 px]]<ref name="lindblad-toh2005">{{cite journal |author1=Lindblad-Toh, K. |author2=Wade, C. M. |author3=Mikkelsen, T. S. |name-list-style=amp |year=2005 |title=Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog |journal=Nature |volume=438 |issue=7069 |pages=803–819 |doi=10.1038/nature04338 |pmid=16341006 |display-authors=etal|bibcode=2005Natur.438..803L|doi-access=free }}</ref>{{rp|at=Fig. 10}}
                        }}
                     }}
                  }}
               |2=[[Cape fox]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXXIII).jpg|50 px]]
               }}
            |2={{clade
               |1=[[Blanford's fox]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXXI).jpg|50 px]]
               |2=[[Fennec fox]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXXVI).jpg|50 px]]
               }}
            }}
         |2=[[Raccoon dog]] [[File:Nyctereutes procyonoides (white background).png|50 px]]
      }}
   |2={{clade
      |1=[[Bat-eared fox]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes BHL19827472 white background.jpg|50 px]]
      }}
   }}
}}

===Origins===
The species is Eurasian in origin, and may have evolved from either ''Vulpes alopecoides'' or the related Chinese ''V.&nbsp;chikushanensis'', both of which lived during the Middle [[Villafranchian]] of the [[Pleistocene Epoch]].<ref name=k115>{{cite book|last1=Kurtén|first1=Björn|title=Pleistocene Mammals of Europe|date=1968|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson}}</ref> The earliest fossil specimens of ''V.&nbsp;vulpes'' were uncovered in [[Baranya County]], [[Hungary]], dating from 3.4 to 1.8&nbsp;million years ago.<ref>[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayCollResults?collection_no=35369 PaleoDatabase collection No. 35369], authorized by Alan Turner, Liverpool John Moores University. Entry by H. O'Regan, 8 December 2003</ref> The ancestral red fox was likely more diminutive compared to today's extant foxes, as the earliest red fox fossils have shown a smaller build than living specimens.<ref name="k115"/>{{rp|115–116}} The earliest fossil remains of the modern species date back to the mid-Pleistocene,<ref>David M. Alba, Saverio Bartolini Lucenti, Joan Madurell Malapeira, 2021, ''[https://portalrecerca.csuc.cat/article/doi/10.13130/2039-4942/15229 Middle Pleistocene fox from the Vallparadís Section (Vallès-Penedès Basin, NE Iberian Peninsula) and the earliest records of the extant red fox] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026070728/https://portalrecerca.csuc.cat/article/doi/10.13130/2039-4942/15229 |date=26 October 2021 }}'', Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, Vol.127, pp.179-187, DOI:10.13130/2039-4942/15229, Retrieved on 26 October 2021</ref> found in association with [[middens]] and refuse left by early human settlements. This has led to the theory that the red fox was hunted by primitive humans (as both a source of food and pelts); the possibility also exists of red foxes scavenging from middens or butchered animal carcasses.<ref name="marinis222">{{Harvnb|Spagnesi|De Marina Marinis|2002|p=222}}</ref>

===Colonisation of North America===
Red foxes colonised the North American continent in two waves: before and during the [[Illinoian (stage)|Illinoian glaciation]], and during the [[Wisconsinan|Wisconsinan glaciation]].<ref name="phylo"/> [[Gene mapping]] demonstrates that red foxes in North America have been isolated from their Old World counterparts for over 400,000 years, thus raising the possibility that [[speciation]] has occurred, and that the previous [[binomial name]] of ''Vulpes fulva'' may be valid.<ref name="statham2014">{{cite journal | last1 = Statham | first1 = Mark J. | last2 = Murdoch | first2 = James | last3 = Janecka | first3 = Jan | last4 = Aubry | first4 = Keith B. | last5 = Edwards | first5 = Ceiridwen J. | last6 = Soulsbury | first6 = Carl D. | last7 = Berry | first7 = Oliver | last8 = Wang | first8 = Zhenghuan | last9 = Harrison | first9 = David | display-authors = 8 | year = 2014 | title = Range-wide multilocus phylogeography of the red fox reveals ancient continental divergence, minimal genomic exchange and distinct demographic histories | journal = Molecular Ecology | volume = 23 | issue = 19| pages = 4813–4830 | doi = 10.1111/mec.12898 | pmid = 25212210| bibcode = 2014MolEc..23.4813S | s2cid = 25466489 }}</ref> In the far north, red fox fossils have been found in [[Sangamonian]] Stage deposits near the [[Fairbanks, AK|Fairbanks]] District, [[Alaska]], and [[Medicine Hat]], [[Alberta, Canada|Alberta]]. Fossils dating from the Wisconsinan are present in 25 sites across [[Arkansas]], [[California]], [[Colorado]], [[Idaho]], [[Missouri]], [[New Mexico]], [[Ohio]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Feldman |first1=Rodney |last2=Hackathorn |first2=Merriane |title=Fossils of Ohio |date=1996 |publisher=State of Ohio, Dept. of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey |location=Columbus |isbn=0931079055}}</ref> [[Tennessee]], [[Texas]], [[Virginia]], and [[Wyoming]]. Although they ranged far south during the Wisconsinan, the onset of warm conditions shrank their range toward the north, and they have only recently reclaimed their former North American ranges because of human-induced environmental changes.<ref name="kurten1980">{{Cite book |last1=Kurtén |first1=B. |title=Pleistocene Mammals of North America |last2=Anderson |first2=E. |date=1980 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231037334 |pages=96, 174 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> [[Genetic testing]] indicates that two distinct red fox [[Refugium (population biology)|refugia]] exist in North America, which have been separated since the Wisconsinan. The northern (or boreal) refugium occurs in Alaska and western Canada, and consists of the larger subspecies ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;alascensis'', ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;abietorum'', ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;regalis'', and ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;rubricosa''. The southern (or montane) refugium occurs in the subalpine parklands and alpine meadows of the west, from the [[Rocky Mountains]] to the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]] and the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] ranges, consisting of the smaller subspecies ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;cascadensis'', ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;macroura'', ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;necator'', and ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;patwin''. The latter [[clade]] has been separated from all other red fox populations since at least the last glacial maximum, and may possess unique ecological or physiological adaptations.<ref name="phylo">{{cite journal |author1=Aubry, Keith B. |author2=Statham, Mark J. |author3=Sacks, Benjamin N. |author4=Perrines, John D. |author5=Wisely, Samantha M. |name-list-style=amp |year=2009 |title=Phylogeography of the North American red fox: Vicariance in Pleistocene forest refugia |journal=Molecular Ecology |volume=18 |issue=12 |pages=2668–2686 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294X.2009.04222.x |pmid=19457180 |bibcode=2009MolEc..18.2668A |s2cid=11518843 |url=http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/cdcg/documents/Aubryetal2009_000.pdf |access-date=13 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616110238/http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/cdcg/documents/Aubryetal2009_000.pdf |archive-date=16 June 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Although European foxes (''V.&nbsp;v. crucigera'') were introduced to portions of the United States in the 1900s, recent genetic investigation indicates an absence of European fox mitochondrial haplotypes in any North American populations.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The origin of recently established red fox populations in the United States: translocations or natural range expansions? |author=Mark J. Statham |author2=Benjamin N. Sacks |author3=Keith B. Aubry |author4=John D. Perrine |author5=Samantha M. Wisely |name-list-style=amp |year=2012 |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=93 |issue=1 |page=58 |doi=10.1644/11-MAMM-A-033.1|doi-access=free }}</ref> Additionally, introduced eastern North American red foxes have colonised most of inland California, from [[Southern California]] to the [[San Joaquin Valley]], [[Monterey, CA|Monterey]] and north-coastal [[San Francisco Bay Area]] (including urban [[San Francisco]] and adjacent cities). In spite of the red fox's adaptability to city life, they are still found in somewhat greater numbers in the northern portions of California (north of the Bay Area) than in the south, as the wilderness is more alpine and isolated. The eastern red foxes appear to have mixed with the [[Sacramento Valley]] red fox (''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;patwin'') only in a narrow hybrid zone.<ref>{{cite journal |title=A restricted hybrid zone between native and introduced red fox ''Vulpes vulpes'' populations suggests reproductive barriers and competitive exclusion |author1=Sacks, B. N. |author2=Moore, M. |author3=Statham, M. J. |author4=Wittmer, H. U. |name-list-style=amp |journal=Molecular Ecology |year=2011 |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=326–341 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04943.x|pmid=21143330|bibcode=2011MolEc..20..326S |s2cid=2995171 }}</ref> In addition, no evidence is seen of interbreeding of eastern American red foxes in California with the montane [[Sierra Nevada red fox]] (''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;necator'') or other populations in the Intermountain West (between the [[Rocky Mountains]] to the east and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Genetic distinctiveness of red foxes in the Intermountain West as revealed through expanded mitochondrial sequencing |author=Volkmann, Logan A. |author2=Statham, Mark J. |author3=Mooers, Arne Ø. |author4=Sacks, Benjamin N. |name-list-style=amp |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=96 |issue=2 |pages=297–307 |doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyv007|year=2015|doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Subspecies===
The 3rd edition of ''Mammal Species of the World''<ref name="msw3">{{MSW3 Wozencraft|id =14000892}}</ref> listed 45 subspecies as valid. In 2010, a distinct 46th subspecies, the Sacramento Valley red fox (''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;patwin''), which inhabits the grasslands of the Sacramento Valley, was identified through [[Mitochondrial DNA|mitochondrial]] [[haplotype]] studies.<ref name="Sacks 2010">{{cite journal |author1=Sacks, Benjamin N. |author2=Statham, Mark J. |author3=Perrine, John D. |author4=Wisely, Samantha M. |author5=Aubry, Keith B. |name-list-style=amp |year=2010 |title=North American montane red foxes: Expansion, fragmentation, and the origin of the Sacramento Valley red fox |journal=Conservation Genetics |volume=11 |issue=4 |pages=1523–1539 |doi=10.1007/s10592-010-0053-4 |s2cid=7164254 |url=https://escholarship.org/content/qt94r5n5s6/qt94r5n5s6.pdf?t=l7nx95 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2010ConG...11.1523S |access-date=3 September 2019 |archive-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018004833/https://escholarship.org/content/qt94r5n5s6/qt94r5n5s6.pdf?t=l7nx95 |url-status=live }}</ref> Castello (2018) recognized 30 subspecies of the Old World red fox and nine subspecies of the [[American red fox|North American red fox]] as valid.<ref>Castello, Jose, 2018. ''Canids of the World''. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.</ref>

Substantial [[gene pool]] mixing between different subspecies is known; British red foxes have [[Crossbreeding|crossbred]] extensively with red foxes imported from Germany, France, Belgium, Sardinia and possibly Siberia and Scandinavia.<ref name="dale">{{cite book|last1=Dale|first1=Thomas Francis|author-link1= Thomas Francis Dale|title=The Fox|date=1906|publisher=Longmans, Green, and Co.|location=London, New York, Bombay|url=https://archive.org/details/foxdale00dale|access-date=8 July 2016}}</ref>{{rp|140}} However, genetic studies suggest very little differences between red foxes sampled across Europe.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Modern and ancient red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') in Europe show an unusual lack of geographical and temporal structuring, and differing responses within the carnivores to historical climatic change |author1=Teacher, Amber G. F.  |author2=Thomas, Jessica A. |author3=Barnes, Ian |name-list-style=amp |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |year=2011 |volume=11 |issue=214 |page=214 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-11-214 |pmid=21774815 |pmc=3154186 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2011BMCEE..11..214T }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=A range-wide synthesis and timeline for phylogeographic events in the red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') |author=Kutschera, Verena E. |author2=Lecomte, Nicolas |author3=Janke, Axel |author4=Selva, Nuria |author5=Sokolov, Alexander A. |author6=Haun, Timm |author7=Steyer, Katharina |author8=Nowak, Carsten |author9=Hailer, Frank |name-list-style=amp |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |year=2013 |volume=13 |issue=114 |page=114 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-13-114 |pmid=23738594 |pmc=3689046 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2013BMCEE..13..114K }}</ref> Lack of genetic diversity is consistent with the red fox being a highly agile species, with one red fox covering {{cvt|320|km|}} in under a year's time.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Dispersal Patterns of Red Foxes Relative to Population Density |author1=Allen, S. H. |author2=Sargeant, A. B. |name-list-style=amp |journal=Journal of Wildlife Management |year=1993 |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=526–533 |jstor=3809277 |doi=10.2307/3809277 |bibcode=1993JWMan..57..526A |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1235187 |access-date=28 June 2019 |archive-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018005348/https://zenodo.org/record/1235187 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Red fox subspecies in Eurasia and North Africa are divided into two categories:<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

* {{em|Northern foxes}} are large and brightly coloured.
* {{em|Southern grey desert foxes}} include the Asian subspecies ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;griffithi'', ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;pusilla'', and ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;flavescens''. These foxes display transitional features between the northern foxes and other, smaller fox species; their skulls possess more primitive, [[Neoteny|neotenous]] traits than the northern foxes<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> and they are much smaller; the maximum sizes attained by southern grey desert foxes are invariably less than the average sizes of northern foxes. Their limbs are also longer and their ears larger.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

Red foxes living in Middle Asia show physical traits intermediate to the northern foxes and southern grey desert foxes.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

<gallery widths=200 heights=160>
File:Redfoxskull.jpg|Skull of a northern fox
File:Vpusillaskull.jpg|Skull of a southern grey desert fox
</gallery>

{| class="sortable wikitable collapsible" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#115a6c;"
!Subspecies
!Trinomial authority
!Trinomial authority (year)
!Description
!Range
!Synonyms
|-
|Scandinavian red fox<br/>''V. v. vulpes'' {{small|([[nominate subspecies]])}}
[[File:Norwegian Red Fox - Killed on the road P4.JPG|frameless]]
|Linnaeus
|1758
|A large subspecies measuring 70–90&nbsp;cm in length and weighing 5–10&nbsp;kg; the maximum length of the skull for males is 163.2&nbsp;mm. The fur is bright red with a strongly developed whitish and yellow ripple on the lower back.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
| [[Scandinavia]] and the northern and middle (forest) districts of the European part of the [[former Soviet Union]], southwards to the forest-steppe and eastwards approximately to the [[Urals]] and probably Central and Western Europe
|{{Plainlist|
* <small>''alopex'' (Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
* <small>''communis'' (Burnett, 1829)</small>
* <small>''lineatus'' (Billberg, 1827)</small>
* <small>''nigro-argenteus'' (Nilsson, 1820)</small>
* <small>''nigrocaudatus'' (Billberg, 1827)</small>
* <small>''septentrionalis'' (Brass, 1911)</small>
* <small>''variegates'' (Billberg, 1827)</small>
* <small>''vulgaris'' (Oken, 1816)</small>
}}
|-
|British Columbia red fox<ref>{{cite book|title=A biological investigation of the Athabaska-Mackenzie region|last1=Preble|first1=Edward Alexander |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|year=1908|chapter=Mammals|pages=217|url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=D63PAAAAMAAJ|page=217}}}}</ref><br />''V. v. abietorum''
[[File:Red fox.jpg|frameless]]
|[[Clinton Hart Merriam|Merriam]]
|1900
|Generally similar to ''V. v. alascensis'', but with a lighter, longer and more slender skull<ref name="merriam">{{cite book|last1=Merriam|first1=Clinton Hart|title=Preliminary Revision of the North American Red Foxes|date=1900|publisher=Washington Academy of Sciences|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cihm_16792/page/n9 663]–669|isbn=9780665167928 |url=https://archive.org/details/cihm_16792}}</ref>
|Southern [[Yukon]], the [[North-West Territories]], northern [[Alberta]], the interior of [[British Columbia]] and in the adjoining coastal southeast Alaska (US).<ref>{{cite book|title=Recent Mammals of Alaska|last1=Cook|first1=Joseph A.|last2=MacDonald|first2=Stephen O.|publisher=University of Alaska Press|year=2010|chapter=|pages=162|isbn=9781602231160|url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=NYTvCAAAQBAJ|page=162}}}}</ref>  
|<small>''sitkaensis'' (Brass, 1911)</small>
|-
|Northern Alaskan fox<br/>''V. v. alascensis''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes alacensis.jpg|frameless]]
|Merriam
|1900
|A large, long-tailed, small-eared form with golden-fulvous fur<ref name="merriam"/>
|The [[Andreafsky Wilderness]], Alaska, U.S.
|
|-
|Eastern Transcaucasian fox<br/>''V. v. alpherakyi''
[[File:Vulpes alpherakyi.jpg|frameless]]
|[[Konstantin Alexeevitsch Satunin|Satunin]]
|1906
|A small subspecies weighing 4&nbsp;kg; its maximum skull length is 132–39&nbsp;mm in males and 121–26&nbsp;mm in females. The fur is rusty grey or rusty brown, with a brighter rusty stripe along the spine. The coat is short, coarse and sparse.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|[[Geok Tepe]], [[Aral, Kazakhstan|Aralsk]], [[Kazakhstan]]
|
|-
|Anatolian fox<br/>''V. v. anatolica''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes anatolica.jpg|frameless]]
|[[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]]
|1920
|
|[[İzmir]], the [[Aegean Region]], [[Turkey]]
|
|-
|[[Arabian red fox]]<br/>''V. v. arabica''
[[File:Vulpesvulpesarabica.JPG|frameless]]
|Thomas
|1920
|
|[[Dhofar Governorate|Dhofar]] and the [[Hajar Mountains]], [[Oman]]
|
|-
|Atlas fox<br/>''V. v. atlantica''
[[File:It's my habitat ! (cropped).jpg|frameless]]
|[[Johann Andreas Wagner|Wagner]]
|1841
|
|The [[Atlas Mountains]], [[Mila Province]], [[Algeria]]
|<small>''algeriensis'' ([[Victor Loche|Loche]], 1858)</small>
|-
|Labrador fox<br/>''V. v. bangsi''
[[File:Adult fox.JPG|frameless]]
|Merriam
|1900
|Similar to ''V. v. fulva'', but with smaller ears and less pronounced black markings on the ears and legs.<ref name="merriam"/>
|[[L'Anse au Loup]], the [[Strait of Belle Isle]], [[Labrador]], [[Canada]]
|
|-
|Barbary fox<br/>''V. v. barbara''
|[[George Shaw (biologist)|Shaw]]
|1800
|
|The [[Barbary Coast]], northwestern Africa
|<small>''acaab'' ([[Ángel Cabrera|Cabrera]], 1916)</small>
|-
|Anadyr fox<br/>''V. v. beringiana''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes beringiana.jpg|frameless]]
|[[Alexander von Middendorff|Middendorff]]
|1875
|A large subspecies; it is the most brightly coloured of the Old World red foxes, the fur being saturated bright-reddish and almost lacking the bright ripple along the back and flanks. The coat is fluffy and soft.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|The shores of the [[Bering Strait]], northeastern [[Siberia]]
|<small>''anadyrensis'' (J. A. Allen, 1903)</small><br/>
<small>''beringensis'' (Merriam, 1902)</small><br/>
<small>''kamtschadensis'' (Brass, 1911)</small><br/>
<small>''kamtschatica'' (Dybowski, 1922)</small><br/>
<small>''schantaricus'' ([[Boris Stepanovich Yudin|Yudin]], 1986)</small>
|-
|[[Cascade red fox]]<br/>''V. v. cascadensis''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes cascadensis.jpg|frameless]]
|Merriam
|1900
|A short-tailed, small-toothed subspecies with yellow rather than fulvous fur; it is the subspecies most likely to produce "cross" colour morphs.<ref name="merriam"/>
|The [[Cascade Mountains]], [[Skamania County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], U.S.
|
|-
|North Caucasian fox<br/>''V. v. caucasica''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes caucasica.JPG|frameless]]
|Dinnik
|1914
|A large subspecies; its coat is variable in colour, ranging from reddish to red-grey and nearly grey. The fur is short and coarse. This subspecies could be a hybrid caused by mixing the populations of ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;stepensis'' and ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;karagan''.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|Near [[Vladikavkaz]], the [[Caucasus]], [[Russia]]
|
|-
|European fox<br/>''V. v. crucigera''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes 1 (Martin Mecnarowski).jpg|frameless]]
|[[Johann Matthäus Bechstein|Bechstein]]
|1789
|A medium-sized subspecies; its yellowish-fulvous or reddish-brown pelt lacks the whitish shading on the upper back. The tail is not grey, as in most other red fox subspecies.<ref name="marinis221">{{Harvnb|Spagnesi|De Marina Marinis|2002|p=221}}</ref> It is primarily distinguished from ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;vulpes'' by its slightly smaller size, distinctly smaller teeth and widely spaced premolars. Red foxes present in Great Britain (and therefore Australia) are usually ascribed to this subspecies, though many populations there display a great degree of tooth compaction not present in continental European red fox populations.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/>
|All of Europe except Scandinavia, the Iberian Peninsula and some islands of the Mediterranean Sea; introduced to Australia and North America
|<small>''alba'' ([[Moritz Balthasar Borkhausen|Borkhausen]], 1797)</small><br/>
<small>''cinera'' (Bechstein, 1801)</small><br/>
<small>''diluta'' ([[Sergej Ognew|Ognev]], 1924)</small><br/>
<small>''europaeus'' ([[Robert Kerr (writer)|Kerr]], 1792)</small><br/>
<small>''hellenica'' (Douma-Petridou and Ondrias, 1980)</small><br/>
<small>''hypomelas'' (Wagner, 1841)</small><br/>
<small>''lutea'' (Bechstein, 1801)</small><br/>
<small>''melanogaster'' ([[Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte|Bonaparte]], 1832)</small><br/>
<small>''meridionalis'' ([[Leopold Fitzinger|Fitzinger]], 1855)</small><br/>
<small>''nigra'' (Borkhausen, 1797)</small><br/>
<small>''stepensis'' ([[Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Brauner|Brauner]], 1914)</small>
|-
|Trans-Baikal fox<br/>''V. v. daurica''
|Ognev
|1931
|A large subspecies; the colour along its spine is light, dull yellowish-reddish with a strongly developed white ripple and greyish longitudinal stripes on the anterior side of the limbs. The coat is coarse but fluffy.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|[[Kharangoi]], 45&nbsp;km west of [[Kyakhta|Troizkosavsk]], Siberia
|<small>''ussuriensis'' (Dybowski, 1922)</small>
|-
|Newfoundland fox<br/>''V. v. deletrix''
|[[Outram Bangs|Bangs]]
|1898
|A very pale-coloured form; its light, straw-yellow fur deepens to golden yellow or buff-fulvous in some places. The tail lacks the usual black basal spot. The hind feet and claws are very large.<ref name="merriam"/>
|[[St. George's Bay (Newfoundland and Labrador)|St. George's Bay]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], Canada
|
|-
|Ussuri fox<br/>''V. v. dolichocrania''
|Ognev
|1926
|
|[[Sidemi]], southern [[Ussuri]], southeastern Siberia
|<small>''ognevi'' (Yudin, 1986)</small>
|-
|''V. v. dorsalis''
|[[John Edward Gray|J. E. Gray]]
|1838
|
|
|
|-
|[[Turkmenian fox]]<br/>''V. v. flavescens''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes flavescens.jpg|frameless]]
|J. E. Gray
|1838
|A small subspecies with an infantile-looking skull and an overall grey-coloured coat; its body length is 49–57.5&nbsp;cm and it weighs 2.2–3.2&nbsp;kg.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|Northern [[Iran]]
|<small>''cinerascens'' ([[Aleksander Birula–Białynicki|Birula]], 1913)</small><br /><small>''splendens'' (Thomas, 1902)</small>
|-
|[[American red fox]]<br/>''V. v. fulva''
[[File:RedFoxIBSP.png|frameless]]
|[[Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest|Desmarest]]
|1820
|This is a smaller subspecies than ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;vulpes'', with a smaller, sharper face, a shorter tail, a lighter pelt more profusely mixed with whitish and darker limbs.<ref name="merriam"/>
|Eastern Canada and the eastern U.S.
|<small>''pennsylvanicus'' (Rhoads, 1894)</small>
|-
|Afghan red fox<br/>''V. v. griffithi''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes (Afghanistan) fur skin.jpg|frameless]]
|[[Edward Blyth|Blyth]]
|1854
|Slightly smaller than ''V. v. montana''; it has a more extensively hoary and silvered pelt.<ref name="pocock">{{cite book|last1=Pocock|author-link=R. I. Pocock|first1=Reginald Innes |title=The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Mammalia Volume 2, Carnivora: Aeluroidea, Arctoidea|date=1941|url=https://archive.org/details/PocockMammalia2 |access-date=8 July 2016}}</ref>{{rp|121}}
|[[Kandahar]], [[Afghanistan]]
|<small>''flavescens'' (Hutton, 1845)</small>
|-
|Kodiak fox<br/>''V. v. harrimani''
[[File:Red Fox (28735336466).jpg|frameless]]
|Merriam
|1900
|This large subspecies has an enormous tail and coarse, wolf-like fur on the tail and lower back. The hairs on the neck and shoulders are greatly elongated and form a ruff.<ref name="merriam"/>
|[[Kodiak Island]], Alaska, U.S.
|
|-
|South Chinese fox<br/>''V. v. hoole''
|[[Robert Swinhoe|R. Swinhoe]]
|1870
|<ref name="a">{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=G. M. |title=The mammals of China and Mongolia. Volume 1 |year=1938 |url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsofchinamo01alle |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |location=New York}}</ref>
|Near [[Amoy]], [[Fujian|Fukien]], southern China
|<small>''aurantioluteus'' ([[Paul Matschie|Matschie]], 1907)</small><br /><small>''lineiventer'' (R. Swinhoe, 1871)</small>
|-
|Sardinian fox<br/>''V. v. ichnusae''
|[[Gerrit Smith Miller Jr.|Miller]]
|1907
|A small subspecies with proportionately small ears.<ref name="marinis221"/>
|[[Sarrabus]], [[Sardinia]], [[Italy]]; may have been introduced to the [[English Midlands]]<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|6}}
|
|-
|Cyprus fox<br/>''V. v. indutus''
|Miller
|1907
|
|[[Cyprus]]
|
|-
|Yakutsk fox<br/>''V. v. jakutensis''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes (Sibiria & northwestern).jpg|frameless]]
|Ognev
|1923
|This subspecies is large, but smaller than ''V. v. beringiana''. The back, neck and shoulders are brownish-rusty, while the flanks are bright ocherous reddish-yellow.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|The [[taiga]] south of [[Yakutsk]], eastern Siberia
|<small>''sibiricus'' (Dybowski, 1922)</small>
|-
|Japanese fox<br/>''V. v. japonica''
[[File:Vulpesvulpesjaponica.jpg|frameless]]
|Ognev
|1923
|
|[[Japan]], except for [[Hokkaido]]
|
|-
|Karaganka fox<br/>''V. v. karagan''
[[File:Лисица.JPG|frameless]]
|[[Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben|Erxleben]]
|1777
|A smaller subspecies than ''V. v. vulpes''; its fur is short, coarse and of a light sandy-yellow or yellowish-grey colour.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|The [[Kirghiz Steppes]], [[Khirgizia]], Russia
|<small>''ferganensis'' (Ognev, 1926)</small><br/>
<small>''melanotus'' (Pallas, 1811)</small><br/>
<small>''pamirensis'' (Ognev, 1926)</small><br/>
<small>''tarimensis'' (Matschie, 1907)</small>
|-
|Kenai Peninsula fox<br/>''V. v. kenaiensis''
|Merriam
|1900
|One of the largest North American subspecies; it has softer fur than ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;harrimani''.<ref name="merriam"/>
|The [[Kenai Peninsula]], Alaska, U.S.
|
|-
|Transcaucasian montane fox<br/>''V. v. kurdistanica''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes Kurdistanica (cropped).jpg|frameless]]
|Satunin
|1906
|A form intermediate in size between ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;alpheryaki'' and ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;caucasica''; its fur is pale yellow or light grey, sometimes brownish-reddish and is fluffier and denser than that of the other two Caucasian red fox subspecies.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|Northeastern Turkey
|<small>''alticola'' (Ognev, 1926)</small>
|-
|Wasatch Mountains fox<br/>''V. v. macroura''
[[File:Redfox.jpg|frameless]]
|[[Spencer Fullerton Baird|Baird]]
|1852
|This fox is similar to ''V. v. fulvus'', but with a much longer tail, larger hind feet and more extensive blackening of the limbs.<ref name="merriam"/>
|Named for the [[Wasatch Mountains]] near the [[Great Salt Lake]], [[Utah]], found in the [[Rocky Mountains]] from [[Colorado]] and [[Utah]], western [[Wyoming]] and [[Montana]] through [[Idaho]] north to southern [[Alberta]]
|
|-
|[[Hill fox]]<br/>''V. v. montana''
[[File:Keulemans hill fox.png|frameless]]
|[[Oliver Paynie Pearson|Pearson]]
|1836
|This subspecies is distinguished from ''V. v. vulpes'' by its smaller size, proportionately smaller skull and teeth and coarser fur. The hairs on the sole of the feet are copiously mixed with softer, woolly hairs.<ref name="pocock"/>{{rp|111}}
|The [[Himalayas]] and northern [[Indian subcontinent]]
|<small>''alopex'' (Blanford, 1888)</small><br/>
<small>''himalaicus'' (Ogilby, 1837)</small><br/>
<small>''ladacensis'' (Matschie, 1907)</small><br/>
<small>''nepalensis'' (J. E. Gray, 1837)</small><br/>
<small>''waddelli'' (Bonhote, 1906)</small>
|-
|[[Sierra Nevada red fox]] or High Sierra fox<br/>''V. v. necator''
[[File:Sierra Nevada Red Fox, Lassen Volcanic National Park- Keith Slausen USFS 2002.jpg|frameless]]
|Merriam
|1900
|Externally similar to ''V. v. fulvus''; it has a short tail, but cranially it is more like ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;macroura''<ref name="merriam"/>
|The [[High Sierra (biome)|High Sierra]], California
|
|-
|Nile fox<br/>''V. v. niloticus''
[[File:Nile Fox.JPG|frameless]]
|[[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire]]
|1803
|A small subspecies; it measures 76.7–105.3&nbsp;cm in body length, 30.2–40.1&nbsp;cm in tail length and weighs 1.8–3.8&nbsp;kg. It is ruddy to grey-brown above and darker on the back of the neck. The flanks are greyer and tinged with buff.<ref name="Hoath 2009">{{cite book |author=Hoath, Richard |title=A Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt |publisher=American Univ in Cairo Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-977-416-254-1}}</ref> It is larger than ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;arabica'' and ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;palaestina''.<ref name="fieldiana">{{cite book|title=The Contemporary Land Mammals of Egypt (including Sinai)|last1=Osborn|first1=Dale J.|last2=Helmy|first2=Ibrahim |name-list-style=amp |date=1980|publisher=Field Museum of Natural History|url=https://archive.org/details/contemporaryland05osbo|access-date=9 July 2016|pages=[https://archive.org/details/contemporaryland05osbo/page/376 376], 679}}</ref>
|[[Egypt]] and [[Sudan]]
|<small>''aegyptiacus'' (Sonnini, 1816)</small><br/>
<small>''anubis'' (Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833)</small><br/>
<small>''vulpecula'' (Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833)</small>
|-
|Turkestan fox<br/>''V. v. ochroxantha''
|Ognev
|1926
|
|[[Aksai Chin|Aksai]], [[Jetisu|Semirechye]], eastern Russian [[Turkestan]], Kirgizia
|
|-
|Palestinian fox<br/>''V. v. palaestina''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes at Eshel HaNasi3, israel.jpg|frameless]]
|Thomas
|1920
|
|[[Ramleh]], near [[Jaffa]], [[Israel]]
|
|-
|[[Korean fox]]<br/>''V. v. peculiosa''
|[[Kyukichi Kishida|Kishida]]
|1924
|
|Northeastern China, Southeastern Russia, and [[Korea]]
|<small>''kiyomassai'' (Kishida and [[Tamezo Mori|Mori]], 1929)</small>
|-
|[[White-footed fox]]<br/>''V. v. pusilla''
[[File:Indian Desert Fox (Vulpes vulpes pusilla) Tal Chappar Rajasthan India 14.02.2013.jpg|frameless]]
|Blyth
|1854
|Slightly smaller than ''V. v. griffithii'';<ref name="pocock"/>{{rp|123}} it closely resembles the [[Bengal fox]] (''V. bengalensis'') in size, but is distinguished by its longer tail and hind feet.<ref name="pocock"/>{{rp|129}}
|The [[Salt Range]], [[Punjab, Pakistan]]
|<small>''leucopus'' (Blyth, 1854)</small><br />
<small>''persicus'' (Blanford, 1875)</small>
|-
|Northern plains fox<br/>''V. v. regalis''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes regalis (2).jpg|frameless]]
|Merriam
|1900
|The largest North American red fox subspecies; it has very large and broad ears and a very long tail. It is a golden-yellow colour with pure black feet.<ref name="merriam"/>
|The [[Elk River (Minnesota)|Elk River]], [[Sherburne County]], [[Minnesota]], US
|
|-
|Nova Scotia fox<br/>''V. v. rubricosa''
|Bangs
|1898
|A large-sized subspecies with a large, broad tail and larger teeth and rostrum than ''V.&nbsp;v. fulvus''; it is the deepest-coloured subspecies.<ref name="merriam"/>
|[[Digby County, Nova Scotia|Digby County]], [[Nova Scotia]], Canada
|<small>''bangsi'' (Merriam, 1900)</small><br />
<small>''deletrix'' (Bangs, 1898)</small><br />
<small>''rubricos'' (Churcher, 1960)</small><br />
<small>''vafra'' (Bangs, 1897)</small>
|-
|[[Ezo red fox]]<br/>''V. v. schrencki''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes schrencki 01.jpg|frameless]]
|Kishida
|1924
|
|[[Sakhalin]], Russia and [[Hokkaido]], Japan
|
|-
|Iberian fox<br/>''V. v. silacea''
[[File:Spanish red fox.jpg|frameless]]
|Miller
|1907
|Though equal in size to ''V. v. vulpes'', it has smaller teeth and more widely spaced premolars. The fur is dull buff without any yellowish or reddish tints. The hindquarters are frosted with white and the tail is clear grey in colour.<ref name="gerrit">Miller, Gerrit Smith (1912). [https://archive.org/details/catalogueofmamma00brit ''Catalogue of the Mammals of Western Europe (Europe Exclusive of Russia) in the Collection of the British Museum''], British Museum (Natural History). Department of Zoology.</ref>
|The [[Iberian Peninsula]]
|
|-
|Kurile Islands fox<br/>''V. v. splendidissima''
|Kishida
|1924
|
|The northern and central [[Kurile Islands]], Russia
|
|-
|Steppe red fox<br/>''V. v. stepensis''
|Brauner
|1914
|This subspecies is slightly smaller and more lightly coloured than ''V.&nbsp;v.&nbsp;crucigera'', with shorter, coarser fur. Specimens from the Crimean Mountains have brighter, fluffier and denser fur.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|The steppes near [[Kherson]], Ukraine
|<small>''krymeamontana'' (Brauner, 1914)</small><br />
<small>''crymensis'' (Brauner, 1914)</small>
|-
|Tobolsk fox<br/>''V. v. tobolica''
|Ognev
|1926
|This large subspecies has yellowish-rusty or dirty-reddish fur with a well-developed cross and often a black area on the belly. The coat is long and fluffy.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|[[Obdorsk]], [[Tobolsk]], Russia
|
|-
|North Chinese fox<br/>''V. v. tschiliensis''
[[File:Vulpes vulpes (China, central) fur skin.jpg|frameless]]
|Matschie
|1907
|Slightly larger than ''V. v. hoole'', but unlike other Chinese red foxes, it closely approaches ''V. v. vulpes'' in size.<ref name="a353">{{Harvnb|Allen|1938|p=353}}</ref>
|[[Beijing]] and [[Hebei province]], China
|<small>''huli'' (Sowerby, 1923)</small>
|}

==Description==

===Build===
[[File:Yawning red and corsac fox.jpg|thumb|Red fox (left) and [[corsac fox]] (right) yawning]]
The red fox has an elongated body and relatively short limbs. The tail, which is longer than half the body length<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> (70 percent of head and body length),<ref name="lariviere">{{cite book |last1=Larivière|first1=Serge|last2=Pasitschniak-Arts|first2=Maria |name-list-style=amp |title=''Vulpes vulpes''|date=1996|publisher=American Society of Mammalogists |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-537-01-0001.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051031015804/http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-537-01-0001.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 October 2005|access-date=9 July 2016}}</ref> is fluffy and reaches the ground when in a standing position. Their pupils are oval and vertically oriented.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> [[Nictitating membrane]]s are present, but move only when the eyes are closed. The forepaws have five digits, while the hind feet have only four and lack [[dewclaw]]s.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> They are very agile, being capable of jumping over {{cvt|2|m}} high fences, and swim well.<ref name="z132">{{Harvnb|Sillero-Zubiri|Hoffman|MacDonald|2004|pp=132–133}}</ref> Vixens normally have four pairs of [[teat]]s,<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> though vixens with seven, nine, or ten teats are not uncommon.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> The [[testes]] of males are smaller than those of Arctic foxes.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

Their [[skull]]s are fairly narrow and elongated, with small [[braincase]]s. Their [[canine teeth]] are relatively long. [[Sexual dimorphism]] of the skull is more pronounced than in corsac foxes, with female red foxes tending to have smaller skulls than males, with wider nasal regions and hard [[palate]]s, as well as having larger canines.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Their skulls are distinguished from those of dogs by their narrower [[snout|muzzles]], less crowded [[premolar]]s, more slender canine teeth, and concave rather than convex profiles.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/>

===Dimensions===
Red foxes are the largest species of the genus ''Vulpes''.<ref name="z129">{{Harvnb|Sillero-Zubiri|Hoffman|MacDonald|2004|p=129}}</ref> However, relative to dimensions, red foxes are much lighter than similarly sized dogs of the genus ''[[Canis]]''. Their limb bones, for example, weigh 30 percent less per unit area of bone than expected for similarly sized dogs.<ref name="rwf1987">{{Cite book |last=Macdonald |first=David |title=Running with the Fox |publisher=Unwin Hyman, London |year=1987 |isbn=9780044401995}}</ref>{{rp|122}} They display significant individual, sexual, age and geographical variation in size. On average, adults measure {{cvt|35|–|50|cm}} high at the shoulder and {{cvt|45|-|90|cm}} in body length with tails measuring {{cvt|30|-|55.5|cm}}. The ears measure {{cvt|7.7|-|12.5|cm}} and the hind feet {{cvt|12|-|18.5|cm}}. Weights range from {{cvt|2.2|-|14|kg}}, with vixens typically weighing 15–20% less than males.<ref name=r10>{{cite book|author=Nowak, Ronald M.|title=Walker's Mammals of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T37sFCl43E8C&q=eurasian+lynx+38+kg&pg=PA806|page=636|volume=1|publisher=JHU Press|year=1999|isbn=978-0-8018-5789-8}}</ref><ref name="Burnie">Burnie, D. & Wilson, D. E. (eds.), ''Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife''. DK Adult (2005), {{ISBN|0789477645}}</ref> Adult red foxes have skulls measuring {{cvt|129|–|167|mm}}, while those of vixens measure {{cvt|128|–|159|mm}}.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> The forefoot print measures {{cvt|60|mm}} in length and {{cvt|45|mm}} in width, while the hind foot print measures {{cvt|55|mm}} long and {{cvt|38|mm}} wide. They trot at a speed of {{cvt|6|-|13|km/h}}, and have a maximum running speed of {{cvt|50|km/h}}. They have a stride of {{cvt|25|–|35|cm}} when walking at a normal pace.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|36}} North American red foxes are generally lightly built, with comparatively long bodies for their mass and have a high degree of sexual dimorphism. British red foxes are heavily built, but short, while continental European red foxes are closer to the general average among red fox populations.<ref name="z130">{{Harvnb|Sillero-Zubiri|Hoffman|MacDonald|2004|p=130}}</ref> The largest red fox on record in Great Britain was a {{cvt|1.4|m}} long male, that weighed {{cvt|17.2|kg}}, killed in [[Aberdeenshire]], Scotland, in early 2012.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-17259087 |title='Largest fox killed in UK' shot on Aberdeenshire farm |author=Wilkes, David |date=5 March 2012 |work=BBC News Online |access-date=20 June 2018 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201091325/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-17259087 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Fur===
[[File:North American Red Fox.jpg|thumb|A red fox in its winter coat in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, U.S.]]
The winter fur is dense, soft, silky and relatively long. For the northern foxes, the fur is very long, dense and fluffy, but it is shorter, sparser and coarser in southern forms.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Among northern foxes, the North American varieties generally have the silkiest [[guard hair]]s,<ref name=bachrach/>{{rp|231}} while most Eurasian red foxes have coarser fur.<ref name="bachrach"/>{{rp|235}} The fur in "thermal windows" areas such as the head and the lower legs is kept dense and short all year round, while fur in other areas changes with the seasons. The foxes actively control the peripheral [[vasodilation]] and peripheral [[vasoconstriction]] in these areas to regulate heat loss.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Klir|first1=J. J.|last2=Heath|first2=J. E. |name-list-style=amp |date=1992 |title=An infrared thermographic study of surface temperature in relation to external thermal stress in three species of foxes: The Red Fox (''Vulpes vulpes''), Arctic Fox (''Alopex lagopus''), and Kit Fox (''Vulpes macrotis'') |journal=Physiological Zoology |volume=65|issue=5|pages=1011–1021 |doi=10.1086/physzool.65.5.30158555 |s2cid=87183522}}</ref> There are three main [[polymorphism (biology)|colour morphs]]; red, silver/black and cross (see ''[[#Colour morphs|Mutations]]'').<ref name=lariviere/> In the typical red morph, their coats are generally bright reddish-rusty with yellowish tints. A stripe of weak, diffuse patterns of many brown-reddish-chestnut hairs occurs along the spine. Two additional stripes pass down the shoulder blades, which, together with the spinal stripe, form a cross. The lower back is often a mottled silvery colour. The flanks are lighter coloured than the back, while the chin, lower lips, throat and front of the chest are white. The remaining lower surface of the body is dark, brown or reddish.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> During lactation, the belly fur of vixens may turn brick red.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> The upper parts of the limbs are rusty reddish, while the paws are black. The frontal part of the face and upper neck is bright brownish-rusty red, while the upper lips are white. The backs of the ears are black or brownish-reddish, while the inner surface is whitish. The top of the tail is brownish-reddish, but lighter in colour than the back and flanks. The underside of the tail is pale grey with a straw-coloured tint. A black spot, the location of the [[supracaudal gland]], is usually present at the base of the tail. The tip of the tail is white.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

====Colour morphs====
[[File:Vulpes vulpes colour variations.jpg|thumb|Various red fox colour morphs]]
Atypical colouration in the red fox usually represents stages toward full [[melanism]],<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> and mostly occurs in cold regions.<ref name="mammals-of-na"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! width=150|Colour morph
! width=150|Image
! width=500|Description
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
||{{em|Red}}
| |[[File:Red fox fur skin (Sweden).jpg|50 px]]
||The typical colouration (see [[#Fur|fur]] above)
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="font-style: bold;"|{{em|Smokey}}
| |
||The rump and spine is brown or grey with light yellowish bands on the guard hairs. The cross on the shoulders is brown, rusty brown or reddish-brown. The limbs are brown.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="font-style: bold;"|{{em|[[Cross fox (animal)|Cross]]}}
| |[[File:Vulpes vulpes (cross fox) Norway & Canada.jpg|50 px]]
||The fur has a darker colouration than the colour morph listed directly above. The rump and lower back are dark brown or dark grey, with varying degrees of silver on the guard hairs. The cross on the shoulders is black or brown, sometimes with light silvery fur. The head and feet are brown.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="font-style: bold;"|{{em|Blackish-brown}}
| |
||The melanistic colour morph of the Eurasian red foxes. Has blackish-brown or black skin with a light brownish tint. The skin area usually has a variable admixture of silver. Reddish hairs are either completely absent or in small quantities.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="font-style: bold;"|{{em|[[Silver fox (animal)|Silver]]}}
| |[[File:Vulpes vulpes - silver fox fur skin.jpg|50 px]]
||The melanistic colour morph of the North American red foxes, but introduced to the Old World by the fur trade. Characterised by pure black colour with skin that usually has a variable admixture of silver (covering 25–100% of the skin area)<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="font-style: bold;"|{{em|Platinum}}
| |[[File:Vulpes vulpes (Platinum fox) fur skin.jpg|50 px]]
||Distinguished from the silver colour morph by its pale, almost silvery-white fur with a bluish cast<ref name=bachrach/>{{rp|251}}
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="font-style: bold;"|{{em|Amber}}
| |[[File:Vulpes vulpes (Amber fox) fur skin.jpg|50 px]]
| |
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="font-style: bold;"|{{em|Samson}}
| |[[File:Vulpes vulpes Mutation.jpg|50 px]]
||Distinguished by its woolly pelt, which lacks guard hairs<ref name=bachrach/>{{rp|230}}
|}

===Senses===
Red foxes have [[binocular vision]],<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> but their sight reacts mainly to movement. Their [[auditory perception]] is acute, being able to hear [[black grouse]] changing roosts at 600 paces, the flight of [[crow]]s at {{cvt|0.25|–|0.5|km}} and the squeaking of mice at about {{cvt|100|m}}.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> They are capable of locating sounds to within one degree at 700–3,000&nbsp;Hz, though less accurately at higher frequencies.<ref name="z132"/> Their sense of smell is good, but weaker than that of specialised dogs.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

===Scent glands===
Red foxes have a pair of [[anal sac]]s lined by sebaceous glands, both of which open through a single duct.<ref>Albone, E. S. & Grönnerberg, T. O. [http://www.jlr.org/content/18/4/474.full.pdf "Lipids of the anal sac secretions of the red fox, ''Vulpes vulpes'' and of the lion, ''Panthera leo''"]. ''Journal of Lipid Research''.  18.4 (1977): 474–479.</ref> The size and volume of the anal sacs increases with age, ranging in size from 5–40mm in length, 1–3mm in diameter, and with a capacity of 1–5&nbsp;mL.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rinck |first1=M |last2=Rinck |first2=R |last3=Rinck |first3=J |last4=Sulimanović |first4=D |last5=Kos |first5=J |last6=Janicki |first6=Z |date=2000-06-01 |title=Morphometrische Analbeutelmessungen beim Rotfuchs (Vulpes vulpes, Linné 1758) |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02241575 |journal=Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft |volume=46 |issue=117–119 |pages=118 |doi=10.1007/BF02241575 |bibcode=2000ZJag...46..117R |s2cid=35030583 |via=SpringerLink|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The anal sacs act as fermentation chambers in which [[aerobic bacteria|aerobic]] and [[anaerobic bacteria]] convert [[sebum]] into odorous compounds, including [[aliphatic]] acids. The oval-shaped [[caudal gland]] is {{cvt|25|mm}} long and {{cvt|13|mm}} wide, and reportedly smells of [[violet (plant)|violet]]s.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> The presence of foot glands is equivocal. The interdigital cavities are deep, with a reddish tinge and smell strongly. Sebaceous glands are present on the angle of the jaw and mandible.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/>

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Red fox (Vulpes vulpes crucigera) Skalnate Pleso.jpg|thumb|''V. v. crucigera'', Slovakia]]
[[File:RedFox.png|thumbnail|Multi-coloured North American red fox]]

The red fox is a wide-ranging species. Its range covers nearly {{cvt|70000000|km2}} including as far north as the [[Arctic Circle]]. It occurs all across Europe, in Africa north of the Sahara Desert, throughout Asia apart from extreme Southeast Asia, and across North America apart from most of the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is absent in the Arctic islands,{{Disputed inline|Actual range|date=January 2025}} the most northern parts of central [[Siberia]], and in extreme deserts.<ref name=IUCN/>
It is not present in [[New Zealand]] and is classed as a "prohibited new organism" under the [[Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996]], which does not allow import.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1996/0030/latest/DLM386556.html#DLM386556 |title=Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 2003 – Schedule 2 Prohibited new organisms |publisher=New Zealand Government |access-date=26 January 2012 |archive-date=16 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616104517/http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1996/0030/latest/DLM386556.html#DLM386556 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Australia===
{{Main|Feral foxes in Australia}}

In Australia, estimates in 2012 indicated that there were more than 7.2&nbsp;million red foxes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au/portal.asp?p=Ferals1 |title=Impacts of Feral Animals |access-date=29 May 2012 |publisher=Game Council of New South Wales |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418154902/http://www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au/portal.asp?p=Ferals1 |archive-date=18 April 2012}}</ref> with a range extending throughout most of the continental mainland.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|14}} They became established in Australia through successive introductions in the 1830s and 1840s, by settlers in the British colonies of [[Van Diemen's Land]] (as early as 1833) and the [[Port Phillip District]] of New South Wales (as early as 1845), who wanted to foster the traditional English sport of [[fox hunting]]. A permanent red fox population did not establish itself on the island of [[Tasmania]], and it is widely held that foxes were out-competed by the [[Tasmanian devil]].<ref name=Bostanci2005>{{Cite journal |last1=Bostanci |first1=A. |title=Wildlife Biology: A Devil of a Disease |doi=10.1126/science.307.5712.1035 |journal=Science |volume=307 |issue=5712 |page=1035 |year=2005 |pmid=15718445|s2cid=54100368}}</ref> On the mainland, however, the species was successful as an [[apex predator]]. The fox is generally less common in areas where the [[dingo]] is more prevalent, but it has, primarily through its burrowing behaviour, achieved [[niche differentiation]] with both the [[free-ranging dog|feral dog]] and the [[feral cat]]. Consequently, the fox has become one of the continent's most destructive invasive species.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

The red fox has been implicated in the extinction or decline of several native Australian species, particularly those of the family [[Potoroidae]], including the [[desert rat-kangaroo]].<ref name='Biological Conservation 1998-09-13'>{{Cite journal |last1=Short |first1=J. |title=The extinction of rat-kangaroos (Marsupialia: Potoroidae) in New South Wales, Australia |doi=10.1016/S0006-3207(98)00026-3 |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=86 |issue=3 |pages=365–377|year=1998 |bibcode=1998BCons..86..365S}}</ref> The spread of red foxes across the southern part of the continent has coincided with the spread of [[rabbits in Australia]], and corresponds with declines in the distribution of several medium-sized ground-dwelling mammals, including [[Woylie|brush-tailed bettong]]s, [[Boodie|burrowing bettong]]s, [[rufous bettong]]s, [[bilbies]], [[numbat]]s, [[Bridled nail-tail wallaby|bridled nail-tail wallabies]] and [[quokka]]s.<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/pestsweeds/RedfoxApproved.pdf |title=Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by the Red Fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') |year=2001 |publisher=NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service |isbn=0731364244 |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=17 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317045658/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/pestsweeds/RedfoxApproved.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Most of those species are now limited to areas (such as islands) where red foxes are absent or rare. Local fox eradication programs exist, although elimination has proven difficult due to the fox's denning behaviour and nocturnal hunting, so the focus is on management, including the introduction of state bounties.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Millen, Tracey |date=October–November 2006 |title=Call for more dingoes to restore native species |journal=[[ECOS (CSIRO magazine)|ECOS]] |volume=133 |url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=EC133p5a.pdf |access-date=9 March 2007 |archive-date=16 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416060335/http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file |url-status=live}} (Refers to the book ''Australia's Mammal Extinctions: A 50,000 Year History''. Christopher N. Johnson. {{ISBN|978-0-521-68660-0}}.)</ref> According to the Tasmanian government, red foxes were accidentally introduced to the previously fox-free island of Tasmania in 1999 or 2000, posing a significant threat to native wildlife, including the [[eastern bettong]], and an eradication program was initiated, conducted by the Tasmanian [[Department of Primary Industries and Water]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Latest Physical Evidence of Foxes in Tasmania |work=Department of Primary Industries and Water, Tasmania website |url=http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/LJEM-6SH7FX?open |date=18 July 2013 |access-date=20 September 2013 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054610/http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/LJEM-6SH7FX?open |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Sardinia, Italy===
[[File:Areale dei canidi italiani.png|thumb|Current range of the red fox in Italy (orange) alongside the range of the [[European jackal]] and [[Italian wolf]]]]
The origin of the ''ichnusae'' subspecies in [[Sardinia]], Italy is uncertain, as it is absent from Pleistocene deposits in their current homeland. It is possible it originated during the [[Neolithic]] following its introduction to the island by humans. It is likely then that Sardinian fox populations stem from repeated introductions of animals from different localities in the Mediterranean. This latter theory may explain the subspecies' phenotypic diversity.<ref name=marinis222/>

==Behaviour==
===Social and territorial behaviour===
{{multiple image
| image1            = Rebane - Vulpes vulpes.jpg
| total_width       = 500px
| caption1          = Red fox pressed against the trunk of a pine tree in [[Ilmatsalu]], Estonia
| image2            = It_Must_be_Love_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2503970.jpg
| caption2          = Red foxes [[social grooming|grooming]] each other
| image3            = Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) -British Wildlife Centre-8.jpg
| caption3          = A pair of European red foxes (''V.{{nbsp}}v. crucigera'') at the [[British Wildlife Centre]], Surrey, England
}}
[[File:Young Fox (16605353545).jpg|thumb|A red fox [[olfactic communication|marking its territory]]]]
Red foxes either establish stable home ranges within particular areas or are itinerant with no fixed abode.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|117}} They use their [[Spraying (animal behavior)#Canidae|urine to mark their territories]].<ref name="Fawcett 2012">{{cite journal |author1=Fawcett, John K. |author2=Fawcett, Jeanne M. |author3=Soulsbury, Carl D. |name-list-style=amp |title=Seasonal and sex differences in urine marking rates of wild red foxes ''Vulpes vulpes'' |journal=Journal of Ethology |year=2012 |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=41–47 |doi=10.1007/s10164-012-0348-7 |s2cid=15328275}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Macdonald, D. W. |year=1979 |title=Some observations and field experiments on the urine marking behaviour of the red fox, ''Vulpes vulpes'' L. |journal=Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=1–22 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-0310.1979.tb00667.x |bibcode=1979Ethol..51....1M |url=https://www.originalwisdom.com/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2019/04/MacDonald_1979_Some-Observations-and-Field-Experiments-on-scent-marking-in-red-fox.pdf |access-date=21 February 2020 |archive-date=6 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706103639/https://www.originalwisdom.com/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2019/04/MacDonald_1979_Some-Observations-and-Field-Experiments-on-scent-marking-in-red-fox.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> A male fox raises one hind leg and his urine is sprayed forward in front of him, whereas a female fox squats down so that the urine is sprayed in the ground between the hind legs.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Walters, M. |author2=Bang, P. |author3=Dahlstrøm, P. |name-list-style=amp |title=Animal Tracks and Signs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A6XwAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |year=2001 |pages=202–203 |isbn=978-0-19-850796-3}}</ref> Urine is also used to mark empty [[Cache (biology)|cache]] sites, used to store found food, as reminders not to waste time investigating them.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|125}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=The use of urine marking in the scavenging behavior of the red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') |author=Henry, J. D. |journal=Behaviour |volume=61 |issue=1/2 |year=1977 |pages=82–106 |jstor=4533812 |doi=10.1163/156853977X00496 |pmid=869875|s2cid=36332457 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Andersen |first1=K. F. |last2=Vulpius |first2 =T. |name-list-style=amp |title=Urinary volatile constituents of the lion, ''Panthera leo''|doi=10.1093/chemse/24.2.179 |journal=Chemical Senses |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=179–189 |year=1999 |pmid=10321819 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Males generally have higher urine marking rates during late summer and autumn, but the rest of the year the rates between male and female are similar.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Fawcett, J. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Fawcett, J. |author3=Soulsbury, C. |year=2013 |title=Seasonal and sex differences in urine marking rates of wild red foxes ''Vulpes vulpes'' |journal=Journal of Ethology |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=41–47 |doi=10.1007/s10164-012-0348-7|s2cid=254144483 }}</ref> The use of up to 12 different urination postures allows them to precisely control the position of the scent mark.<ref name="ElbrochKresky2012">{{cite book |author1=Elbroch, L. M. |author2=Kresky, M. R. |author3=Evans, J. W. |name-list-style=amp |title=Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NGHgFgtJDQYC&pg=PA189 |year=2012 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-25378-0 |page=189}}</ref> Red foxes live in family groups sharing a joint territory. In favourable habitats and/or areas with low hunting pressure, subordinate foxes may be present in a range. Subordinate foxes may number one or two, sometimes up to eight in one territory. These subordinates could be formerly [[dominance (ethology)|dominant]] animals, but are mostly young from the previous year, who act as helpers in rearing the breeding vixen's kits. Alternatively, their presence has been explained as being in response to temporary surpluses of food unrelated to assisting reproductive success. Non-breeding vixens will guard, play, groom, provision and retrieve kits,<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> an example of [[kin selection]]. Red foxes may leave their families once they reach adulthood if the chances of winning a territory of their own are high. If not, they will stay with their parents, at the cost of postponing their own reproduction.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|140–141}}

===Reproduction and development===
{{Further|Silver fox (animal)#Mating behaviour|l1=Mating behavior of melanistic red foxes}}
{{multiple image
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| image2            = Red fox kit 3 (Vulpes vulpes).jpg
| image3            = Fox_cub_bushes.png
| footer            = Red fox kits
}}

[[File:Red foxes mating (2).jpg|thumb|Red foxes [[mating]]]]

Red foxes reproduce once a year in spring. Two months prior to [[oestrus]] (typically December), the reproductive organs of vixens change shape and size. By the time they enter their oestrus period, their [[uterine horn]]s double in size, and their [[ovaries]] grow 1.5–2 times larger. [[Spermatogenesis|Sperm formation]] in males begins in August–September, with the testicles attaining their greatest weight in December–February.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> The vixen's oestrus period lasts three weeks,<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> during which the dog-foxes mate with the vixens for several days, often in burrows. {{anchor|Copulation}} The male's [[bulbus glandis]] enlarges during [[Copulation (zoology)|copulation]],<ref name="mammals-of-na"/> forming a [[copulatory tie]] which may last for more than an hour.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> The [[gestation period]] lasts 49–58 days.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Though foxes are largely [[Monogamy in animals|monogamous]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Iossa |first1=G. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Soulsbury, C.D. |author3=Baker, P.J. |author4=Harris, S. |year=2008 |title=Body mass, territory size, and life-history tactics in a socially monogamous canid, the red fox ''Vulpes vulpes'' |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=89 |issue=6|pages=1481–1490 |doi=10.1644/07-mamm-a-405.1 |doi-access=free}}</ref> DNA evidence from one population indicated large levels of [[Polygyny in animals|polygyny]], [[incest]] and mixed paternity litters.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> Subordinate vixens may become pregnant, but usually fail to whelp, or have their kits killed postpartum by either the dominant female or other subordinates.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/>
[[File:Fox kits in front of fox hole.ogg|thumb|Red fox kits coming out of their den]]
The average litter size consists of four to six kits, though litters of up to 13 kits have occurred.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Large litters are typical in areas where fox mortality is high.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|93}} Kits are born blind, deaf and toothless, with dark brown fluffy fur. At birth, they weigh {{cvt|56|–|110|g}} and measure {{cvt|14.5|cm}} in body length and {{cvt|7.5|cm}} in tail length. At birth, they are short-legged, large-headed and have broad chests.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Mothers remain with the kits for 2–3 weeks, as they are unable to [[Thermoregulation|thermoregulate]]. During this period, the fathers or barren vixens feed the mothers.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> Vixens are very protective of their kits, and have been known to even fight off terriers in their defence.<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|21–22}} If the mother dies before the kits are independent, the father takes over as their provider.<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|13}} The kits' eyes open after 13–15 days, during which time their ear canals open and their upper teeth erupt, with the lower teeth emerging 3–4 days later.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Their eyes are initially blue, but change to amber at 4–5 weeks. Coat colour begins to change at three weeks of age, when the black eye streak appears. By one month, red and white patches are apparent on their faces. During this time, their ears erect and their muzzles elongate.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> Kits begin to leave their dens and experiment with solid food brought by their parents at the age of 3–4 weeks. The [[lactation]] period lasts 6–7 weeks.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Their woolly coats begin to be coated by shiny guard hairs after 8 weeks.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> By the age of 3–4 months, the kits are long-legged, narrow-chested and sinewy. They reach adult proportions at the age of 6–7 months.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Some vixens may reach [[sexual maturity]] at the age of 9–10 months, thus bearing their first litters at one year of age.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> In captivity, their [[longevity]] can be as long as 15 years, though in the wild they typically do not survive past 5 years of age.<ref name="Hunter 2011"/>

===Denning behaviour===
[[File:Foxden.jpg|thumb|Side and above view of a red fox den]]
Outside the [[breeding season]], most red foxes favour living in the open, in densely vegetated areas, though they may enter burrows to escape bad weather.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> Their burrows are often dug on hill or mountain slopes, ravines, bluffs, steep banks of water bodies, ditches, depressions, gutters, in rock clefts and neglected human environments. Red foxes prefer to dig their burrows on well drained soils. Dens built among tree roots can last for decades, while those dug on the steppes last only several years.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> They may permanently abandon their dens during [[mange]] outbreaks, possibly as a defence mechanism against the spread of disease.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> In the Eurasian desert regions, foxes may use the [[Sexual behavior of wolves|burrows of wolves]], porcupines and other large mammals, as well as those dug by gerbil colonies. Compared to burrows constructed by Arctic foxes, badgers, marmots and corsac foxes, red fox dens are not overly complex. Red fox burrows are divided into a den and temporary burrows, which consist only of a small passage or cave for concealment. The main entrance of the burrow leads downwards (40–45°) and broadens into a den, from which numerous side tunnels branch. Burrow depth ranges from {{cvt|0.5|–|2.5|m}}, rarely extending to [[ground water]]. The main passage can reach {{cvt|17|m}} in length, standing an average of {{cvt|5|–|7|m}}. In spring, red foxes clear their dens of excess soil through rapid movements, first with the forepaws then with kicking motions with their hind legs, throwing the discarded soil over {{cvt|2|m}} from the burrow. When kits are born, the discarded debris is trampled, thus forming a spot where the kits can play and receive food.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> They may share their dens with woodchucks<ref name="mammals-of-na"/> or badgers.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Unlike badgers, which fastidiously clean their earths and defecate in [[latrine (animal)|latrine]]s, red foxes habitually leave pieces of prey around their dens.<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|15–17}} The average sleep time of a captive red fox is 9.8 hours per day.<ref name="Holland 2011">{{cite journal |author=Holland, Jennifer S. |title=40 winks? |journal=National Geographic |volume=220 |issue=1 |date=July 2011}}</ref>

==Communication==
===Body language===
[[File:Lis (Vulpes vulpes) WOB.JPG|thumb|left|A European fox (''V.&nbsp;v. crucigera'') in an inquisitive posture]]
Red fox body language consists of movements of the ears, tail and postures, with their body markings emphasising certain gestures. Postures can be divided into aggressive/dominant and fearful/submissive categories. Some postures may blend the two together.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|42–43}}
Inquisitive foxes will rotate and flick their ears whilst sniffing. Playful individuals will perk their ears and rise on their hind legs. Male foxes courting females, or after successfully evicting intruders, will turn their ears outwardly, and raise their tails in a horizontal position, with the tips raised upward. When afraid, red foxes grin in submission, arching their backs, curving their bodies, crouching their legs and lashing their tails back and forth with their ears pointing backwards and pressed against their skulls. When merely expressing submission to a dominant animal, the posture is similar, but without arching the back or curving the body. Submissive foxes will approach dominant animals in a low posture, so that their muzzles reach up in greeting. When two evenly matched foxes confront each other over food, they approach each other sideways and push against each other's flanks, betraying a mixture of fear and aggression through lashing tails and arched backs without crouching and pulling their ears back without flattening them against their skulls. When launching an assertive attack, red foxes approach directly rather than sideways, with their tails aloft and their ears rotated sideways.<ref name="rwf1987" />{{rp||page=43}} During such fights, red foxes will stand on each other's upper bodies with their forelegs, using open mouthed threats. Such fights typically only occur among juveniles or adults of the same sex.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles" />

===Vocalisations===
[[File:Red foxes fighting.jpg|thumb|A pair of Wasatch Mountains foxes (''V.&nbsp;v. macroura'') squabbling]]
{{Listen
| filename    =Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) (W1CDR0001529 BD12).ogg
|title=Red fox barks, recorded in Gloucestershire, England, January 1977
| pos         =right
}}
Red foxes have a wide vocal range, and produce different sounds spanning five [[octave]]s, which grade into each other.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|28}} Recent analyses identify 12 different sounds produced by adults and 8 by kits.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> The majority of sounds can be divided into "contact" and "interaction" calls. The former vary according to the distance between individuals, while the latter vary according to the level of aggression.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|28}}

*Contact calls: The most commonly heard contact call is a three to five syllable barking "''wow wow wow''" sound, which is often made by two foxes approaching one another. This call is most frequently heard from December to February (when they can be confused with the territorial calls of [[tawny owl]]s). The "''wow wow wow''" call varies according to individual; captive foxes have been recorded to answer pre-recorded calls of their pen-mates, but not those of strangers. Kits begin emitting the "''wow wow wow''" call at the age of 19 days, when craving attention. When red foxes draw close together, they emit trisyllabic greeting warbles similar to the clucking of chickens. Adults greet their kits with gruff huffing noises.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|28}}
*Interaction calls: When greeting one another, red foxes emit high pitched whines, particularly submissive animals. A submissive fox approached by a dominant animal will emit a ululating siren-like shriek. During aggressive encounters with conspecifics, they emit a throaty rattling sound, similar to a [[Ratchet (instrument)|ratchet]], called "gekkering". Gekkering occurs mostly during the courting season from rival males or vixens rejecting advances.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|28}}
Another call that does not fit into the two categories is a long, drawn-out, monosyllabic "''waaaaah''" sound. As it is commonly heard during the breeding season, it is thought to be emitted by vixens summoning males. When danger is detected, foxes emit a monosyllabic bark. At close quarters, it is a muffled cough, while at long distances it is sharper. Kits make warbling whimpers when nursing, these calls being especially loud when they are dissatisfied.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|28}}

==Behaviour and ecology==
===Diet and hunting ===
[[File:Red fox with nutria.jpg|thumb|A red fox with a [[coypu]]]]
The red fox is an [[omnivore]] with a highly varied diet.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Contesse |first1=P. |last2=Hegglin |first2=D. |last3=Gloor |first3=S. |last4=Bontadina |first4=F. |last5=Deplazes |first5=P. |date=2004 |title=The diet of urban foxes (''Vulpes vulpes'') and the availability of anthropogenic food in the city of Zurich, Switzerland |journal=Mammalian Biology |volume=69 |issue=2 |pages=81–95 |doi=10.1078/1616-5047-00123 |bibcode=2004MamBi..69...81C |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Morton |first1=F. B. |last2=Gartner |first2=M. |last3=Norrie |first3=E.-M. |last4=Haddou |first4=Y. |last5=Soulsbury |first5=C. D. |last6=Adaway |first6=K. A. |date=2023 |title=Urban foxes are bolder but not more innovative than their rural conspecifics |journal=Animal Behaviour |volume=203 |pages=101–113 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.07.003 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Research in the former Soviet Union revealed that the red fox consumes over 300 animal species and a few dozen plant species.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> It primarily feeds on small rodents like [[vole]]s, [[Mouse|mice]], [[ground squirrel]]s, [[hamster]]s, [[Gerbillinae|gerbil]]s, [[woodchuck]]s, [[pocket gopher]]s and [[Peromyscus|deer mice]].<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/><ref name="mammals-of-na"/> Secondary prey species include birds with [[passeriformes]], [[galliformes]] and [[waterfowl]] predominating, [[leporid]]s, [[porcupine]]s, [[raccoon]]s, [[opossum]]s, [[reptile]]s, [[insect]]s, other [[invertebrate]]s, [[flotsam]] and [[carrion]].<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/><ref name="mammals-of-na"/> On very rare occasions, it attacks young or small [[ungulate]]s.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> It typically targets mammals up to about {{cvt|3.5|kg}} in weight and requires {{cvt|500|g}} of food daily.<ref name="z132"/>
It hunts its preferred prey when abundant, but when unavailable, it can still sustain off different prey and even seeds and fruit.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Diaz-Ruiz |first=F |date=2011 |title=Biological Patterns in the diet of an opportunistic predator: the red fox ''Vulpes vulpes'' in the Iberian Peninsula |journal=Mammal Review |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=59–70|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00206.x }}</ref> In some areas, fruit can amount to 100% of its diet in autumn. Commonly consumed fruits include [[blueberry]], [[blackberry]], [[raspberry]], [[cherry]], [[persimmon]], [[Morus (plant)|mulberry]], [[apple]], [[plum]], [[grape]] and [[acorn]]. Other plant material includes [[grass]], [[Cyperaceae|sedge]] and [[tuber]].<ref name="mammals-of-na"/>

The red fox is implicated in the predation of [[Game bird|game]] and [[song bird]]s, hares, [[rabbit]]s, [[muskrat]]s and young ungulates, particularly in [[Game preservation|preserve]]s, [[Game reserve|reserve]]s and hunting farms where ground-nesting birds are protected and raised, as well as in [[Poultry farming|poultry farm]]s.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

Visual cues are the most important ones for the hunting behaviour of the red fox.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Osterholm, H. |year=1964 |title=The significance of distance reception in the feeding behaviour of fox (''Vulpes vulpes'' L.) |journal=Acta Zoologica Fennica |volume=106 |pages=1–31}}</ref>
It prefers to hunt in the early morning hours before sunrise and late evening.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Although it typically forages alone, it occasionally aggregates in resource-rich environments.<ref name="Hunter 2011">{{cite book |author=Hunter, L. |title=Carnivores of the World |year=2011 |publisher=Princeton University Press |page=106 |isbn=978-0-691-15227-1}}</ref> When hunting mouse-like prey, it first pinpoints the prey's location by sound, then leap, sailing high above the quarry, steering in mid-air with its tail before landing on target up to {{cvt|5|m}} away.<ref name="IUCN" /> It only feeds on carrion in the late evening hours and at night.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> It seem to dislike the [[taste]] of [[Mole (animal)|mole]]s, but nonetheless catches them alive and presents them to its kits as playthings.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|41}} It is possessive of its food and defends its catches from even dominant animals.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|58}} It occasionally commits acts of [[surplus killing]]; during one breeding season, four red foxes were recorded to have killed around 200 [[black-headed gull]]s each, with peaks during dark, windy hours when flying conditions were unfavourable. Losses to poultry and penned game birds can be substantial because of this.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/><ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|164}}

A 2008–2010 study of 84 red foxes in the [[Czech Republic]] and [[Germany]] found that successful hunting in long vegetation or under snow appeared to involve an alignment of the red fox with the Earth's [[magnetic field]].<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Červený, J. |author2=Begall, S. |author3=Koubek, P. |author4=Nováková, P. |author5=Burda, H. |name-list-style=amp |title=Directional preference may enhance hunting accuracy in foraging foxes |date=2011 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2010.1145 |pmid=21227977|journal=Biology Letters |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=355–357 |pmc=3097881}}</ref>

===Enemies and competitors===
[[File:Red Fox vs Grey Fox - San Joaquin National Wildlife Refuge.jpg|thumb|left|A red fox confronting a gray fox]]

The red fox typically dominates other fox species. Where the red fox and [[Arctic fox]] are [[Sympatry|sympatric]], the Arctic fox feeds on [[lemming]]s and flotsam rather than voles, as favoured by red foxes. Both species kill each other's kits, given the opportunity.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> The southern range of the Arctic fox is limited by the presence of the red fox; both were introduced to almost every island from the [[Aleutian Islands]] to the [[Alexander Archipelago]] during the 1830s–1930s by fur companies. The red fox invariably displaced the Arctic fox, with one male red fox having been reported to have killed off all resident Arctic foxes on a small island in 1866.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp||page=85}}

The red fox is a competitor of the [[corsac fox]], as they hunt the same prey all year. The red fox is stronger, better adapted to hunting in snow deeper than {{cvt|10|cm}} and is more effective in hunting and catching medium-sized to large rodents. The corsac fox seems to only outcompete the red fox in semi-desert and steppe areas.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Heptner|Naumov|1998|pp=453–454}}</ref> In Israel, the Blanford's fox escapes competition with the red fox by being restricted to rocky cliffs and actively avoiding the open plains inhabited by the red fox.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|84–85}} The red fox dominate [[Kit fox|kit]] and [[swift fox]]es. Kit foxes usually avoid competition with their larger cousins by living in more arid environments, though red foxes have been increasing in ranges formerly occupied by kit foxes due to human-induced environmental changes. Red foxes will kill both species and compete with them for food and den sites.<ref name="mammals-of-na"/> The [[gray fox]] dominates the red fox wherever their ranges meet. Historically, interactions between the two species were rare, as the gray fox favoured heavily wooded or semiarid habitats as opposed to the open and mesic ones preferred by the red fox. However, interactions have become more frequent due to deforestation, allowing the red fox to colonise gray fox-inhabited areas.<ref name="mammals-of-na"/>

[[File:Interspecific social interaction between golden jackal (Canis aureus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) (fig. 1).png|thumb|Female red fox and kits interacting with a male [[golden jackal]] in south-western Germany]]

The [[wolf]] is known to kill and eat the red fox in disputes over carcasses.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/><ref name="Mech 2003">{{cite book |author1=Mech, L. D. |author2=Boitani, L. |name-list-style=amp |year=2003 |title=Wolves: Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation |page=269 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-51696-7}}</ref> In North America where the red fox and [[coyote]] are sympatric, their [[home range]]s do not overlap, and interactions between the two species vary in nature, ranging from active antagonism to indifference. The majority of aggressive encounters are initiated by coyotes, and there are few reports of red foxes acting aggressively toward coyotes except when attacked or when their kits were approached. Foxes and coyotes have sometimes been seen feeding together.<ref name="Sargeant 1989">{{cite journal |author1=Sargeant, A. B. |author2=Allen, S. H. |name-list-style=amp |title=Observed interactions between coyotes and red foxes |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |year=1989 |issue=3 |pages=631–633 |volume=70 |jstor=1381437 |doi=10.2307/1381437 |bibcode=1989JMamm..70..631S |url=http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/mammals/cfoxint/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114195545/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/mammals/cfoxint/ |archive-date=14 November 2007|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In Israel, the red fox shares habitat with the [[golden jackal]], and where their ranges meet, they compete due to near-identical diets. The red fox ignores golden jackal scents or tracks and avoids close physical proximity; in areas where the golden jackal is abundant, the red fox population decreases significantly, apparently because of [[Competitive exclusion principle|competitive exclusion]].<ref name="RF">{{cite journal |author1=Scheinin, S. |author2=Yom-Tov, Y. |author3=Motro, U. |author4=Geffen, E. |name-list-style=amp |title=Behavioural responses of red foxes to an increase in the presence of golden jackals: A field experiment |journal=Animal Behaviour |year=2006 |volume=71 |issue=3 |pages=577–584 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.05.022 |s2cid=38578736 |url=http://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/zoology/members/yom-tov/articles/Behavioural_responses_of_red_foxes.pdf |access-date=24 August 2007 |archive-date=13 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113071230/https://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/zoology/members/yom-tov/articles/Behavioural_responses_of_red_foxes.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> However, multiple red foxes interacting peacefully with a golden jackal have been observed in southwestern Germany.<ref name=bocker2024>{{cite journal |year=2024 |last1=Böcker |first1=F. |title=Interspecific social interaction between golden jackal (Canis aureus) and red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') |journal=Mammal Research |volume=69 |issue=2 |pages=319–324 |last2=Weber |first2=H. |last3=Arnold |first3=J. |last4=Collet |first4=S. |last5=Hatlauf |first5=J. |doi=10.1007/s13364-024-00737-2 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[File:Aquila chrysaetos 1 (Bohuš Číčel).jpg|thumb|A [[golden eagle]] feeding on a red fox]]

The red fox dominates the [[raccoon dog]] and sometimes kills its kits or bites adults to death. Cases are known of red foxes killing raccoon dogs after entering their dens. Both species compete for mouse-like prey. This competition reaches a peak during early spring when food is scarce. In [[Tatarstan]], red fox predation accounted for 11.1% of deaths among 54 raccoon dogs and amounted to 14.3% of 186 raccoon dog deaths in northwestern Russia.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

The red fox occasionally kills small [[mustelid]]s like [[least weasel]],<ref name="mammals-of-na"/> [[stone marten]],<ref name="z134">{{Harvnb|Sillero-Zubiri|Hoffman|MacDonald|2004|p=134}}</ref> [[pine marten]], [[stoat]], [[Siberian weasel]], [[European polecat]] and young [[sable]]s. [[Eurasian badger]]s may live alongside red foxes in isolated sections of large burrows.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> It is possible that the two species tolerate each other out of [[Mutualism (biology)|mutualism]]; red foxes provide Eurasian badgers with food scraps, while Eurasian badgers maintain the shared burrow's cleanliness.<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|15}} However, cases are known of Eurasian badgers driving vixens from their dens and destroying their litters without eating them.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> [[Wolverine]]s may kill red foxes, often while the latter is sleeping or near carrion.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>{{rp|546}} Red foxes, in turn, may kill young wolverines.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

The red fox competes with the [[striped hyena]] on large carcasses; the latter's stronger jaws can easily tear open flesh that is too tough for the red fox. When harassing striped hyenas, it avoids attacks through greater speed. Sometimes, red foxes seem to deliberately torment striped hyenas even when there is no food at stake, though some red foxes mistime their attacks and are killed.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|77–79}} Red fox remains are often found in striped hyena dens, and striped hyenas steal red foxes from traps.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

The red fox may be preyed upon by the [[leopard]], [[caracal]] and [[Eurasian lynx]]. The Eurasian lynx chases the red fox into deep snow, where its long legs and larger paws gives it an advantage over the red fox, especially when the depth of the snow exceeds one meter.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> In the [[Velikoluksky District]] in Russia, the red fox is absent or seen only occasionally where the Eurasian lynx established permanent territories.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> In North America, the red fox is predated by the [[cougar]], [[Canada lynx]] and [[bobcat]].<ref name=lariviere/>

The red fox competes with [[common buzzard]] (''Buteo buteo'') and [[northern goshawk]] (''Accipiter gentilis'') and even steals their kills.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Jankowiak, L. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Tryjanowski, P. |year=2013 |title=Cooccurrence and food niche overlap of two common predators (red fox ''Vulpes vulpes'' and common buzzard ''Buteo buteo'') in an agricultural landscape |journal=Turkish Journal of Zoology |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=157–162 |url=}}</ref> The [[golden eagle]] (''Aquila chrysaetos'') regularly takes young red foxes and preys on adults if needed.<ref name="Watson 2011">{{cite book |author=Watson, J. |title=The Golden Eagle |edition=Second |year=2010 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4081-1420-9 |page=92 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aj5MNvCkun0C&pg=PA92}}</ref> Other large eagles such as the [[wedge-tailed eagle]] (''Aquila audax''), [[eastern imperial eagle]] (''Aquila heliaca''), [[white-tailed eagle]] (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') and [[steller's sea eagle]] (''Haliaeetus pelagicus'') have also been known to kill red foxes less frequently.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Lewis, C. F.  |year=1957 |title=Wedge-tailed eagle takes a fox |journal=Victorian Naturalist |volume=74 |pages=89-90}}</ref><ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/><ref>{{cite book |author1=Utekhina, I. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Potapov, E. |author3=McGrady, M.J. |year=2000 |chapter=Diet of the Steller's Sea Eagle in the northern Sea of Okhotsk |chapter-url= |pages=71–92 |title=First Symposium on Steller's and White-tailed Sea Eagles in East Asia |editor1=Ueta, M. |editor2=McGrady, M.J. |publisher=Wild Bird Society of Japan |location=Tokyo, Japan}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Vrezec, A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Bordjan, D. |year=2009 |title=Population and ecology of the White-tailed Eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') and its conservation status in Slovenia |journal=Denisia |volume=27 |pages=103–114 |author3=Perušek, M. |author4=Hudoklin, A. |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265293841}}</ref> Large owls such as the [[Eurasian eagle-owl]] (''Bubo bubo'') and [[snowy owl]] (''Bubo scandiacus'') prey on young foxes and adults on occasions.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Dixon, C. C. |year=1970 |title=Red Fox predated by Snowy Owl |journal=Blue Jay |volume=33 |issue=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Bubo&species=bubo |title=Eurasian Eagle Owl (''Bubo bubo'') - Information, Pictures, Sounds |publisher=The Owl Pages |date=2015 |access-date=10 September 2016 |archive-date=20 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120022654/http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Bubo&species=bubo |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Diseases and parasites===
[[File:Vulpes vulpes, Red Fox, Zorro.jpg|left|thumb|A European fox (''V.&nbsp;v. crucigera'') with [[mange]]]]

Red foxes are the most important [[rabies]] vector in Europe. In [[London]], [[arthritis]] is common in foxes, being particularly frequent in the spine.<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> Foxes may be infected with [[leptospirosis]] and [[tularemia]], though they are not overly susceptible to the latter. They may also fall ill from [[listeriosis]] and [[Intestinal spirochetosis|spirochetosis]], as well as acting as [[Vector (epidemiology)|vector]]s in spreading [[erysipelas]], [[brucellosis]] and tick-borne [[encephalitis]]. A mysterious fatal disease near [[Lake Sartlan]] in the [[Novosibirsk Oblast]] was noted among local red foxes, but the cause was undetermined. The possibility was considered that it was caused by an acute form of [[encephalomyelitis]], which was first observed in captive-bred silver foxes. Individual cases of foxes infected with ''[[Yersinia pestis]]'' are known.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

Red foxes are not readily prone to infestation with [[flea]]s. Species like ''[[Spilopsyllus cuniculi]]'' are probably only caught from the fox's prey species, while others like ''[[Archaeopsylla erinacei]]'' are caught whilst traveling. Fleas that feed on red foxes include ''[[Pulex irritans]]'', ''[[Ctenocephalides canis]]'' and ''[[Paraceras melis]]''. [[Tick]]s such as ''[[Ixodes ricinus]]'' and ''[[Ixodes hexagonus|I.&nbsp;hexagonus]]'' are not uncommon in red foxes, and are typically found on nursing vixens and kits still in their earths. The [[louse]] ''[[Trichodectes vulpis]]'' specifically targets red foxes, but is found infrequently. The [[mite]] ''[[Sarcoptes scabiei]]'' is the most important cause of [[mange]] in red foxes. It causes extensive hair loss, starting from the base of the tail and hindfeet, then the rump before moving on to the rest of the body. In the final stages of the condition, red foxes can lose most of their fur, 50% of their body weight and may gnaw at infected extremities. In the [[epizootic]] phase of the disease, it usually takes red foxes four months to die after infection. Other endoparasites include ''[[Demodex folliculorum]]'', ''[[Notoderes]]'', ''[[Otodectes cynotis]]'' (which is frequently found in the [[ear canal]]), ''[[Linguatula serrata]]'' (which infects the nasal passages) and [[ringworm]]s.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/>

Up to 60 [[helminth]] species are known to infect captive-bred foxes in [[fur farm]]s, while 20 are known in the wild. Several [[coccidia]]n species of the [[genera]] ''[[Isospora]]'' and ''[[Eimeria]]'' are also known to infect them.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> The most common [[nematode]] species found in red fox guts are ''[[Toxocara canis]]'' and ''[[Uncinaria stenocephala]]'', ''[[Capillaria aerophila]]''<ref name="Lalošević 2013">{{cite journal |author1=Lalošević, V. |author2=Lalošević, D. |author3=Čapo, I. |author4=Simin, V. |author5=Galfi, A. |author6=Traversa, D. |name-list-style=amp |year=2013 |title=High infection rate of zoonotic ''Eucoleus aerophilus'' infection in foxes from Serbia |journal=Parasite |volume=20 |issue=3 |page=3 |doi=10.1051/parasite/2012003 |pmid=23340229 |pmc=3718516 |doi-access=free}}</ref> and ''[[Crenosoma vulpis]]''; the latter two infect their lungs and trachea.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mechouk |first1=N. |last2=Deak |first2=G. |last3=Ionică |first3=A. M. |last4=Toma |first4=C. G. |last5=Bouslama |first5=Z. |last6=Daniel Mihalca |first6=A. |date=2023 |title=First report of ''Crenosoma vulpis'' in Africa and Eucoleus aerophilus in Algeria |journal=International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |volume=20 |pages=187–191 |doi=10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.03.003 |pmc=10023903 |pmid=36941973 }}</ref> ''[[Capillaria plica]]'' infects the red fox's bladder. ''[[Trichinella spiralis]]'' rarely affects them. The most common [[tapeworm]] species in red foxes are ''[[Taenia spiralis]]'' and ''[[Taenia pisiformis|T.&nbsp;pisiformis]]''. Others include ''[[Echinococcus granulosus]]'' and ''[[Echinococcus multilocularis|E.&nbsp;multilocularis]]''. Eleven [[trematode]] species infect red foxes,<ref name="mammals-of-the-brit-isles"/> including ''[[Metorchis conjunctus]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=H. J. |year=1978 |title=Parasites of red foxes in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia |journal=[[Journal of Wildlife Diseases]] |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=366–370 |pmid=691132 |doi=10.7589/0090-3558-14.3.366 |doi-access=free}}</ref> A red fox from was found to be a host of intestinal parasitic [[acanthocephala]]n worms, ''[[Pachysentis canicola]]'' in [[Bushehr Province]], Iran,<ref name="Tavakol2015">{{cite journal |last1=Tavakol |first1=Sareh |last2=Amin |first2=Omar M. |last3=Luus-Powell |first3=Wilmien J. |last4=Halajian |first4=Ali |title=The acanthocephalan fauna of Iran, a check list |journal=Zootaxa |date=22 October 2015 |volume=4033 |issue=2 |pages=237–258 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4033.2.3|pmid=26624401 }}</ref> ''[[Pachysentis procumbens]]'' and ''[[Pachysentis ehrenbergi]]'' in both in Egypt.<ref name="Gomes 2019">{{Cite journal | doi=10.2478/s11686-019-00080-6| title=A New Species of ''Pachysentis'' Meyer, 1931 (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) in the Brown-Nosed Coati ''Nasua nasua'' (Carnivora: Procyonidae) from Brazil, with Notes on the Genus and a Key to Species| year=2019| last1=Gomes| first1=Ana Paula N.| last2=Amin| first2=Omar M.| last3=Olifiers| first3=Natalie| last4=Bianchi| first4=Rita de Cassia| last5=Souza| first5=Joyce G. R.| last6=Barbosa| first6=Helene S.| last7=Maldonado| first7=Arnaldo| journal=Acta Parasitologica| volume=64| issue=3| pages=587–595| pmid=31286360| pmc=6814649}}</ref>

==Relationships with humans==
===In folklore, religion and mythology===
{{Further|Foxes in culture}}
[[File:Reynard-the-fox.jpg|thumb|left|Reynard the Fox in an 1869 children's book]]

Red foxes feature prominently in the folklore and mythology of human cultures with which they are sympatric. In [[Greek mythology]], the [[Teumessian fox]],<ref>{{Langx|grc|Τευμησ(σ)ία ἀλώπηξ}} (''Teumēs(s)íā alôpēx''),''gen''.: Τευμησίας ἀλώπεκος, also known as ἀλώπηξ τῆς Τευμησσοῦ "fox of [[Teumessos]]"; Teumessos was an ancient city in [[Boeotia]].</ref> or Cadmean vixen, was a gigantic fox that was destined never to be caught. The fox was one of the children of [[Echidna (mythology)|Echidna]].<ref name="Wallen 2006">{{cite book|author=Wallen, Martin |title=Fox |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0xkcOKOxKsC&pg=PA40 |year=2006|publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=978-1-86189-297-3 |page=40}}</ref>

In [[Celtic mythology]], the red fox is a symbolic animal. In the [[Cotswolds]], [[witch]]es were thought to take the shape of foxes to steal [[butter]] from their neighbours.<ref name="Monaghan 2004">{{cite book |author=Monaghan, P. |year=2004 |title=The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore |pages=199–200 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-4524-2}}</ref> In later European folklore, the figure of [[Reynard the Fox]] symbolises trickery and deceit; he originally appeared under the name of "Reinardus" as a secondary character in the 1150 poem "[[Ysengrimus]]", reappeared in 1175 in Pierre Saint Cloud's ''Le Roman de Renart'' and made his debut in England in [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s ''[[The Nun's Priest's Tale]]''. Many of Reynard's adventures may stem from actual observations on fox behaviour; he is an enemy of the wolf and has a fondness for blackberries and grapes.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|32–33}}

Chinese folk tales tell of fox-spirits called ''[[huli jing]]'' that may have up to nine tails, or ''[[kumiho]]'' as they are known in Korea.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Goff, J. |url=https://eee.uci.edu/clients/sbklein/GHOSTS/articles/goff-foxes.pdf |title=Foxes in Japanese culture: Beautiful or beastly? |journal=Japan Quarterly |volume=44 |issue=2 |year=1997 |access-date=28 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053659/https://eee.uci.edu/clients/sbklein/GHOSTS/articles/goff-foxes.pdf |archive-date=21 September 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In [[Japanese mythology]], the [[kitsune]] are fox-like spirits possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to [[human disguise|disguise as human]]. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others, other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers and wives.<ref>{{cite book |author=Smyers, K. A. |title=The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-8248-2102-9}}</ref> In [[Arab folklore]], the fox is considered a cowardly, weak, deceitful and cunning animal that feigns death by filling its abdomen with air to appear bloated, then lies on its side, awaiting the approach of unwitting prey.<ref name="fieldiana"/> The animal's cunning was noted by the authors of the [[Bible]] who applied the word "fox" to false prophets in the [[Book of Ezekie]] 13:4 and the hypocrisy of [[Herod Antipas]] in [[Luke 13]]:32.<ref name="BOTF">{{cite book |author=Bright, M. |title=Beasts of the Field: The Revealing Natural History of Animals in the Bible |year=2006 |pages=120–127 |isbn=978-1-86105-831-7 |publisher=Robson Books |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/beastsoffieldrev0000brig/page/120}}</ref>

The cunning Fox is commonly found in [[native American mythology]], where it is portrayed as an almost constant companion to [[Coyote (mythology)|Coyote]]. Fox, however, is a deceitful companion that often steals Coyote's food. In the [[Achomawi]] [[creation myth]], Fox and Coyote are the co-creators of the world, that leave just before the arrival of humans. The [[Yurok tribe]] believed that Fox, in anger, captured the [[Sun]], and tied him to a hill, causing him to burn a great hole in the ground. An [[Inuit]] story tells of how Fox, portrayed as a beautiful woman, tricks a hunter into marrying her, only to resume her true form and leave after he offends her. A [[Menominee]] story tells of how Fox is an untrustworthy friend to Wolf.<ref name="Bastian 2004">{{cite book |author1=Bastian, Dawn Elaine |author2=Mitchell, Judy K. |name-list-style=amp |title=Handbook of Native American Mythology |pages=99–100 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-85109-533-9}}</ref>

===Hunting===
{{Further|Fox hunting}}
[[File:Bruno Liljefors - Beagle and Fox.jpg|thumb|upright|''Beagle and Fox'' (1885) by [[Bruno Liljefors]]]]

The earliest historical records of fox hunting come from the 4th century BC; [[Alexander the Great]] is known to have hunted foxes and a [[Seal (emblem)|seal]] dated from 350&nbsp;BC depicts a [[Persian people|Persian]] horseman in the process of spearing a fox. [[Xenophon]], who viewed hunting as part of a cultured man's education, advocated the killing of foxes as pests, as they distracted hounds from hares. The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] were hunting foxes by AD&nbsp;80. During the [[Dark Ages (historiography)|Dark Ages]] in Europe, foxes were considered secondary quarries, but gradually grew in importance. [[Cnut the Great]] re-classed foxes as Beasts of the Chase, a lower category of quarry than Beasts of Venery. Foxes were gradually hunted less as vermin and more as Beasts of the Chase, to the point that by the late 1200s, [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] had a royal [[Pack (canine)|pack]] of foxhounds and a specialised fox huntsman. In this period, foxes were increasingly hunted above ground with hounds, rather than underground with terriers. [[Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York|Edward, Second Duke of York]] assisted the climb of foxes as more prestigious quarries in his ''[[The Master of Game]]''. By the [[Renaissance]], fox hunting became a traditional sport of the nobility. After the [[English Civil War]] caused a drop in deer populations, fox hunting grew in popularity. By the mid-1600s, Great Britain was divided into fox hunting territories, with the first fox hunting clubs being formed (the first was the [[Charlton Hunt Club]] in 1737). The popularity of fox hunting in Great Britain reached a peak during the 1700s.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|21}} Although already native to North America, red foxes from England were imported for sporting purposes to Virginia and [[Maryland]] in 1730 by prosperous tobacco planters.<ref name="potts">{{cite book|last1=Potts|first1=Allen|title=Fox Hunting in America|date=1912|publisher=The Carnahan Press|location=Washington|pages=[https://archive.org/details/foxhuntinginamer00pott/page/7 7], 38|url=https://archive.org/details/foxhuntinginamer00pott|access-date=9 July 2016}}</ref> These American fox hunters considered the red fox more sporting than the grey fox.<ref name="potts"/>

{{blockquote|The grays furnished more fun, the reds more excitement. The grays did not run so far, but usually kept near home, going in a circuit of six or eight
miles. 'An old red, generally so called irrespective of age, as a tribute to his prowess, might lead the dogs all day, and end by losing them as evening fell, after taking them a dead stretch for thirty miles. The capture of a gray was what men boasted of; a chase after 'an old red' was what they 'yarned' about.<ref name="potts"/>}}

Red foxes are still widely persecuted as pests, with human-caused deaths among the highest causes of mortality in the species. Annual red fox kills are: UK 21,500–25,000 (2000); Germany 600,000 (2000–2001); Austria 58,000 (2000–2001); Sweden 58,000 (1999–2000); Finland 56,000 (2000–2001); Denmark 50,000 (1976–1977); Switzerland 34,832 (2001); Norway 17,000 (2000–2001); [[Saskatchewan]] (Canada) 2,000 (2000–2001); [[Nova Scotia]] (Canada) 491 (2000–2001); [[Minnesota]] (US) 4,000–8,000 (average annual trapping harvest 2002–2009);<ref name=MNDNRTrapHarvest2008>{{cite book|last1=Dexter|first1=Margaret|title=Trapping Harvest Statistics|date=8 December 2009|publisher=Minnesota Department of Natural Resources|page=282 (Table 5)|url=http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/wildlife/populationstatus2009/7_trapping_harvest.pdf|access-date=21 December 2014|archive-date=25 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825062640/http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/wildlife/populationstatus2009/7_trapping_harvest.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> [[New Mexico]] (US) 69 (1999–2000).<ref name="z134"/>

===Fur use===
[[File:Fur redfox.jpg|thumb|Red fox pelts]]
[[File:Vöyri - Fur farm - July 2020.jpg|thumb|A red fox in a fur farm in [[Vörå]], Finland]]

Red foxes are among the most important [[Fur#Use in clothing|fur-bearing]] animals harvested by the [[fur trade]]. Their pelts are used for [[Trim (sewing)|trim]]mings, [[scarf]]s, [[Muff (handwarmer)|muff]]s, [[jacket]]s and [[Fur coat|coat]]s. They are principally used as trimming for both cloth coats and fur garments, including evening wraps.<ref name="bachrach"/>{{rp|229–230}} The pelts of silver foxes are popular as [[cape]]s,<ref name="bachrach"/>{{rp|246}} while cross foxes are mostly used for scarves and rarely for trimming.<ref name="bachrach"/>{{rp|252}} The number of sold fox scarves exceeds the total number of scarves made from other fur-bearers. However, this amount is overshadowed by the total number of red fox pelts used for trimming purposes.<ref name=bachrach/>{{rp|229–230}} The silver colour morphs are the most valued by furriers, followed by the cross colour morphs and the red colour morphs, respectively.<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|207}} In the early 1900s, over 1,000 American red fox skins were imported to Great Britain annually, while 500,000 were exported annually from Germany and Russia.<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|6}} The total worldwide trade of wild red foxes in 1985–86 was 1,543,995 pelts. Red foxes amounted to 45% of U.S. wild-caught pelts worth $50&nbsp;million.<ref name="z134"/> Pelt prices are increasing, with 2012 North American wholesale auction prices averaging $39 and 2013 prices averaging $65.78.<ref>{{cite web |title=NAFA February 2013 Fur Auction Results |url=http://trappingtoday.com/index.php/category/fur-prices/ |website=Trapping Today |date=22 February 2013 |access-date=9 July 2013 |archive-date=26 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626072523/http://trappingtoday.com/index.php/category/fur-prices/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

North American red foxes, particularly those of northern Alaska, are the most valued for their fur, as they have guard hairs of a silky texture which, after dressing, allow the wearer unrestricted mobility. Red foxes living in southern Alaska's coastal areas and the Aleutian Islands are an exception, as they have extremely coarse pelts that rarely exceed one-third of the price of their northern Alaskan cousins.<ref name="bachrach"/>{{rp|231}} Most European peltries have coarse-textured fur compared to North American varieties. The only exceptions are the Nordic and Far Eastern Russian peltries, but they are still inferior to North American peltries in terms of silkiness.<ref name="bachrach"/>{{rp|235}}

===Livestock and pet predation===
[[File:Picked clean - geograph.org.uk - 500576.jpg|thumb|A carcass of a lamb near a red fox den]]
[[File:Urban fox and rabbit.jpg|thumb|A red fox in a [[Birmingham]] garden investigating a rabbit hutch]]

Red foxes may on occasion prey on lambs. Usually, lambs targeted by red foxes tend to be physically weakened specimens, but not always. Lambs belonging to small breeds, such as the [[Scottish Blackface]], are more vulnerable than larger breeds, such as the [[Merino]]. Twins may be more vulnerable to red foxes than singlets, as ewes cannot effectively defend both simultaneously. Crossbreeding small, upland ewes with larger, lowland rams can cause difficult and prolonged labour for ewes due to the heaviness of the resulting offspring, thus making the lambs more at risk to red fox predation. Lambs born from gimmers (ewes breeding for the first time) are more often killed by red foxes than those of experienced mothers, who stick closer to their young.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|166–167}}

Red foxes may prey on [[domestic rabbit]]s and [[guinea pig]]s if they are kept in open runs or are allowed to range freely in gardens. This problem is usually averted by housing them in robust hutches and runs. Urban red foxes frequently encounter [[cat]]s and may feed alongside them. In physical confrontations, the cats usually have the upper hand. Authenticated cases of red foxes killing cats usually involve kittens. Although most red foxes do not prey on cats, some may do so and may treat them more as competitors rather than food.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|180–181}}

===Taming and domestication===
{{Further|Domesticated silver fox}}
[[File:A tame fox cub at home with Mr and Mrs Gordon Jones, Talysarn (4478261667).jpg|thumb|A young boy holding a tame red fox kit]]

In their unmodified wild state, red foxes are generally unsuitable as pets.<ref>{{cite news|author=Jones, Lucy |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pets/news-features/why-we-love-keeping-foxes-at-home---despite-the-smell/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pets/news-features/why-we-love-keeping-foxes-at-home---despite-the-smell/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Why we love keeping foxes at home - despite the smell |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=7 May 2016 |access-date=10 September 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Many supposedly abandoned kits are adopted by well-meaning people during the spring period, though it is unlikely that vixens would abandon their young. Actual orphans are rare and the ones that are adopted are likely kits that simply strayed from their den sites.<ref>{{cite news |author=Karim, Fariha |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/why-having-mr-fox-to-stay-is-not-such-a-fantastic-idea-after-all-d3wrv7b2c |title=Why having Mr Fox to stay is not such a fantastic idea after all |newspaper=[[The Times]] |date=8 September 2016 |access-date=10 September 2016 |archive-date=8 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908140537/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-having-mr-fox-to-stay-is-not-such-a-fantastic-idea-after-all-d3wrv7b2c |url-status=live }}</ref> Kits require almost constant supervision; when still suckling, they require milk at four-hour intervals day and night. Once weaned, they may become destructive to leather objects, furniture and electric cables.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|56}} Though generally friendly toward people when young, captive red foxes become fearful of humans, save for their handlers, once they reach 10 weeks of age.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|61}} They maintain their wild counterparts' strong instinct of concealment and may pose a threat to domestic birds, even when well-fed.<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|122}} Although suspicious of strangers, they can form bonds with cats and dogs, even ones bred for fox hunting. Tame red foxes were once used to draw ducks close to hunting blinds.<ref name="dale"/>{{rp|132–133}}

White to black individual red foxes have been selected and raised on fur farms as "[[Silver fox (animal)|silver foxes]]". In the second half of the 20th century, a lineage of [[domesticated silver fox]]es was developed by [[Russian people|Russian]] geneticist [[Dmitry Belyayev (zoologist)|Dmitry Belyayev]] who, over a 40-year period, bred several generations selecting only those individuals that showed the least fear of humans. Eventually, Belyayev's team selected only those that showed the most positive response to humans, thus resulting in a population of silver foxes whose behaviour and appearance was significantly changed. After about 10 generations of controlled breeding, these foxes no longer showed any fear of humans and often wagged their tails and licked their human caretakers to show affection. These behavioural changes were accompanied by physical alterations, which included [[piebald]] coats, floppy ears in kits and curled tails, similar to the traits that distinguish domestic dogs from grey wolves.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Trut, Lyudmila N. |url=http://www.hum.utah.edu/~bbenham/2510%20Spring%2009/Behavior%20Genetics/Farm-Fox%20Experiment.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215131052/http://www.hum.utah.edu/~bbenham/2510%20Spring%2009/Behavior%20Genetics/Farm-Fox%20Experiment.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 February 2010 |title=Early canid domestication: The farm-fox experiment |journal=American Scientist |volume=87 |issue=2 |year=1999 |pages=160–169 |doi=10.1511/1999.20.813|bibcode=1999AmSci..87.....T |s2cid=120981396 }}</ref>

===Urban red foxes===
====Distribution====
Red foxes have been extremely successful in colonising built-up environments, especially lower-density suburbs,<ref name="z132"/> although many have also been sighted in dense urban areas far from the countryside. Throughout the 20th century, they have established themselves in many Australian, European, Japanese and North American cities. The species first colonised British cities during the 1930s, entering [[Bristol]] and London during the 1940s, and later established themselves in [[Cambridge]] and [[Norwich]]. In Ireland, they are now common in suburban [[Dublin]]. In Australia, red foxes were recorded in [[Melbourne]] as early as the 1930s, while in [[Zurich]], Switzerland, they only started appearing in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefoxwebsite.org/urbanfoxes/index.html |title=Urban foxes: Overview |publisher=The fox website |access-date=20 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916075909/http://www.thefoxwebsite.org/urbanfoxes/index.html |archive-date=16 September 2013 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> 

Urban red foxes are most common in residential suburbs consisting of privately owned, low-density housing. They are rare in areas where industry, [[commerce]] or council-rented houses predominate.<ref name="z132"/> In these latter areas, the distribution is of a lower average density because they rely less on human resources; the home range of these foxes average from {{cvt|80|-|90|ha|km2 acre}}, whereas those in more residential areas average from {{cvt|25|-|40|ha|km2 acre}}.<ref name="Urban Foxes">{{cite book|last1=Harris|first1=Stephen|title=Urban Foxes|date=1986|publisher=Whittet Books |location=London |isbn=978-0905483474}}</ref>

In 2006, it was estimated that there were 10,000 red foxes in London.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/foxes-london.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908200905/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/foxes-london.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 September 2006 |title=10,000 Foxes Roam London |website=National Geographic |date=28 October 2010 |access-date=20 September 2013}}</ref> City-dwelling red foxes may have the potential to consistently grow larger than their rural counterparts as a result of abundant scraps and a relative lack of predators. In cities, red foxes may scavenge food from litter bins and bin bags, although much of their diet is similar to rural red foxes.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

====Behaviour====
Urban red foxes are most active at dusk and dawn, doing most of their hunting and scavenging at these times. It is uncommon to spot them during the day, but they can be caught sunbathing on roofs of houses or sheds. Urban red foxes will often make their homes in hidden and undisturbed spots in urban areas as well as on the edges of a city, visiting at night for sustenance. They sleep at night in dens.

While urban red foxes will scavenge successfully in the city (and the red foxes tend to eat anything that humans eat) some urban residents will deliberately leave food out for the animals, finding them endearing. Doing this regularly can attract urban red foxes to one's home; they can become accustomed to human presence, warming up to their providers by allowing themselves to be approached and in some cases even played with, particularly young kits.<ref name="Urban Foxes"/>

====Urban red fox control====
Urban red foxes can cause problems for local residents. They have been known to steal chickens, disrupt rubbish bins and damage gardens. Most complaints about urban red foxes made to local authorities occur during the breeding season in late January/early February or from late April to August when the new kits are developing.<ref name="Urban Foxes"/>

In the U.K., hunting red foxes in urban areas is banned and shooting them in an urban environment is not suitable. One alternative to hunting urban red foxes has been to trap them, which appears to be a more viable method.<ref name=Fieldsportschannel>{{cite web|title=Fieldsports Britain: How to call in great big bucks|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3doTc9A31Y |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/D3doTc9A31Y |archive-date=15 December 2021 |url-status=live|publisher=Fieldsports Channel |date=24 October 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> However, killing red foxes has little effect on the population in an urban area; those that are killed are very soon replaced, either by new kits during the breeding season or by other red foxes moving into the territory of those that were killed. A more effective method of urban red fox control is to deter them from the specific areas they inhabit. Deterrents such as creosote, diesel oil, or ammonia can be used. Cleaning up and blocking access to den locations can also discourage an urban red fox's return.<ref name="Urban Foxes"/>

====Relationship between urban and rural red foxes====
In January 2014 it was reported that "Fleet", a relatively tame urban red fox tracked as part of a wider study by the [[University of Brighton]] in partnership with the BBC TV series ''[[Springwatch|Winterwatch]]'', had unexpectedly traveled 195 miles in 21 days from his neighbourhood in [[Hove]] at the western edge of [[East Sussex]] across rural countryside as far as the town of [[Rye, East Sussex|Rye]], near the eastern edge of the county. He was still continuing his journey when the [[GPS]] collar stopped transmitting due to suspected water damage. Along with setting a record for the longest journey undertaken by a tracked red fox in the United Kingdom, his travels have highlighted the fluidity of movement between rural and urban red fox populations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01qfhsb |title=BBC Two - Winterwatch, Urban Fox Diary: Part 2 |website=BBC |date=23 January 2014 |access-date=10 September 2016 |archive-date=9 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209183707/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01qfhsb |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-25840467 |title=Fleet the Sussex fox breaks British walking record |publisher=BBC News |date=22 January 2014 |access-date=10 September 2016 |archive-date=15 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915133240/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-sussex-25840467/fleet-the-sussex-fox-breaks-british-walking-record |url-status=live }}</ref>

<gallery widths=200 heights=160>
File:Red fox crossing road.jpg|An urban red fox crossing a city street in Denver, Colorado
File:Urban fox at night.webm|An urban red fox in a built-up area in London, England
File:Fox with food bag.jpg|An urban red fox eating from a bag of biscuits in Dorset, England
File:Fleet Fox AKA Rolf, Winterwatch Brighton.png|"Fleet", the urban red fox from the BBC TV series ''[[Springwatch|Winterwatch]]''
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite journal|last1=Osborn|first1=Dale. J.|last2=Helmy|first2=Ibrahim |name-list-style=amp |title=The contemporary land mammals of Egypt (including Sinai) |periodical=Fieldiana |series=New Series |number=5 |publisher=Field Museum of Natural History|url=https://archive.org/details/contemporaryland05osbo|year=1980}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Sillero-Zubiri|first1=Claudio|last2=Hoffman|first2=Michael|last3=MacDonald|first3=David W. |name-list-style=amp |url=http://www.canids.org/cap/index.htm|title=Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs – 2004 Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan|publisher=IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group|year=2004|isbn=978-2-8317-0786-0|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006222952/http://www.canids.org/cap/index.htm|archive-date=6 October 2011}}
* {{Cite journal|last1=Spagnesi|first1=Mario|last2=De Marina Marinis|first2=Maria |name-list-style=amp |title=Mammiferi d'Italia|journal=Quaderni di Conservazione della Natura|year=2002|issn=1592-2901}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Vulpes vulpes|the red fox}}
{{Wikispecies|Vulpes vulpes|Red fox}}
{{Wiktionary|Fox}}
* {{ITIS |id=180604 |taxon=''Vulpes vulpes'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |access-date=18 March 2006}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707230002/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-fox.html Red Fox], National Geographic
* [https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/group/foxes Natural History of the Red Fox], Wildlife Online
* [http://planetsave.com/2010/09/07/extinct-fox-not-extinct-found-in-california/ Sacramento Valley red fox info1]
* [http://ofnc.ca/programs/fletcher-wildlife-garden/flora-and-fauna-at-the-fwg/red-foxes-at-the-fwg Red Fox], Fletcher Wildlife Garden

{{Carnivora|Ca.}}
{{North American Game}}
{{English Game}}
{{Taxonbar |from=Q8332}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Arctic land animals]]
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[[Category:Introduced mammals of Australia]]
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[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
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