Red Fox — mammal wildlife photo, Vulpes vulpes

Vulpes vulpes


Quick Facts

Type
Mammal
Size
45–90 cm (body length)
Weight
3–7 kg
Habitat
Forests, grasslands, mountains, and cities worldwide
Diet
Rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, fruit
Active Time
Mostly dusk and night (crepuscular)
Lifespan
3–5 years in the wild
Field Notes
  • A red fox can hear a mouse squeak from about 100 feet away.
  • They use Earth's magnetic field to help judge the distance to hidden prey.
  • A fox's bushy tail, called a 'brush', helps it balance and keeps it warm like a scarf.

About the Red Fox

The red fox is the largest and most widespread of the true foxes, found across the Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa. Famous for its rust-orange coat, white-tipped bushy tail, and black 'stockings', it is a highly adaptable omnivore that thrives in forests, grasslands, mountains, and even cities. Red foxes are solitary hunters with exceptional hearing, able to locate prey moving underground or beneath snow before pouncing with a signature high arc.