Red foxes have been recorded in habitats as diverse as tundra, desert and forest as well as in city centers. The animals is a small canid native to much of North America and Eurasia, as well as northern Africa. It is the most recognizable species of fox and in many area it is referred to simply as ‘the fox’.
Natural habitats is dry, mixed landscape, with abundant ‘edge’ of scrub and woodland.
Red foxes are adaptable and opportunistic omnivores, with a diet ranging from invertebrates e.g. earthworms and beetles to mammals and birds including game birds. They do also eat some plant material, especially blackberries, apples, plums and other fruit.
The red fox is doglike in appearance with an elongated muzzle; large, pointed ears, which are usually held erect and forward; moderately long legs; a long, heavily furred and bushy tail that is circular in cross section and long thick soft body fur.
The red fox is most commonly a rusty red, with white underbelly, black ear tips and legs, and a bushy tail usually with a distinctive white tip.
There are nine closely related species in the Vulpes genus. Each has evolved from a relatively recent common ancestor.
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
