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| 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
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}}
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
The red fox originated
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>
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==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
==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]]
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>
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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 |
{{clade | style = font-size: 90%;line-height:50%
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===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. v. alascensis'', ''V. v. abietorum'', ''V. v. regalis'', and ''V. v. 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. v. cascadensis'', ''V. v. macroura'', ''V. v. necator'', and ''V. v. 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.
===Subspecies===
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|-
|Atlas fox<br/>''V. v. atlantica''
[[File:It's my habitat ! (cropped).jpg|frameless]]
|[[Johann Andreas Wagner|Wagner]]
|1841
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===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|title=Running with the Fox|last=Macdonald|first=David|publisher=Unwin Hyman, London |year=1987
===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"/>
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===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
==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:RedFox.png|thumbnail|Multi-coloured North American red fox]]
[[File:Red fox in filfla Commune, skikda, Algeria.jpg|thumb|Red fox with winter fur in [[Filfla, Algeria]]]]
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 [[Greenland]], [[Iceland]], the Arctic islands, 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>
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{{Main|Feral foxes in Australia}}
In Australia, estimates in 2012 indicated that there were more than 7.2 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>
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==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 |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
===Reproduction and development===
{{Further|Silver fox (animal)#Mating behaviour|l1=Mating behavior of melanistic red foxes}}
{{multiple image
| total_width = 500px
| perrow = 3
| image1 = Vulpes vulpes ssp fulvus 6568061.jpg
| 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]]]]
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==Communication==
===Body language===
[[File:Lis (Vulpes vulpes) WOB.JPG|thumb|left|A European fox (''V.
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" /> 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.
{{Listen
| filename =Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) (W1CDR0001529 BD12).ogg
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===Diet, hunting and feeding behaviour===
[[File:Red fox with nutria.jpg|thumb|A red fox with a [[coypu]]]]
Red foxes are [[omnivore]]s 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=2004-02-01 |title=The diet of urban foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and the availability of anthropogenic food in the city of Zurich, Switzerland |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S161650470470107X |journal=Mammalian Biology |volume=69 |issue=2 |pages=81–95 |doi=10.1078/1616-5047-00123 |bibcode=2004MamBi..69...81C |issn=1616-5047}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Morton |first1=F. Blake |last2=Gartner |first2=Marieke |last3=Norrie |first3=Ellie-Mae |last4=Haddou |first4=Yacob |last5=Soulsbury |first5=Carl D. |last6=Adaway |first6=Kristy A. |date=2023-09-01 |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 |issn=0003-3472 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Research conducted in the former Soviet Union showed red foxes consuming over 300 animal species and a few dozen species of plants.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> They primarily feed 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]] ([[marine mammals]], [[fish]] and [[echinoderm]]s) and [[carrion]].<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/><ref name="mammals-of-na"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fox |first1=David L. |title=''Vulpes vulpes'' Red fox |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vulpes_vulpes/ |website=Animal Diversity Web |publisher=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology |year=2007 |access-date=13 October 2022 |archive-date=11 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711104217/http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vulpes_vulpes/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On very rare occasions, foxes may attack young or small [[ungulate]]s.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> They typically target mammals up to about {{cvt|3.5|kg}} in weight, and they require {{cvt|500|g}} of food daily.<ref name="z132"/> Red foxes readily eat plant material and in some areas fruit can amount to 100% of their diet in autumn. Commonly consumed fruits include [[Blueberry|blueberries]], [[Blackberry|blackberries]], [[Raspberry|raspberries]], [[Cherry|cherries]], [[persimmon]]s, [[Morus (plant)|mulberries]], [[apple]]s, [[plum]]s, [[grape]]s and [[acorn]]s. Other plant material includes [[grass]]es, [[Cyperaceae|sedge]]s and [[tuber]]s.<ref name="mammals-of-na"/>
Red foxes are 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"/>
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Red foxes typically dominate other fox species. [[Arctic fox]]es generally escape competition from red foxes by living farther north, where food is too scarce to support the larger-bodied red species. Although the red species' northern limit is linked to the availability of food, the Arctic species' southern range is limited by the presence of the former. Red and Arctic foxes were both introduced to almost every island from the [[Aleutian Islands]] to the [[Alexander Archipelago]] during the 1830s–1930s by fur companies. The red foxes invariably displaced the Arctic foxes, 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/> Where they are [[Sympatry|sympatric]], Arctic foxes may also escape competition by feeding on [[lemming]]s and flotsam rather than voles, as favoured by red foxes. Both species will kill each other's kits, given the opportunity.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Red foxes are serious competitors of [[corsac fox]]es, as they hunt the same prey all year. The red species is also stronger, is better adapted to hunting in snow deeper than {{cvt|10|cm}} and is more effective in hunting and catching medium-sized to large rodents. Corsac foxes seem to only outcompete red foxes in semi-desert and steppe areas.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Heptner|Naumov|1998|pp=453–454}}</ref> In Israel, Blanford's foxes escape competition with red foxes by restricting themselves to rocky cliffs and actively avoiding the open plains inhabited by red foxes.<ref name=rwf1987/>{{rp|84–85}} Red foxes 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"/> [[Gray fox|Grey fox]]es are exceptional, as they dominate red foxes wherever their ranges meet. Historically, interactions between the two species were rare, as grey foxes favoured heavily wooded or semiarid habitats as opposed to the open and mesic ones preferred by red foxes. However, interactions have become more frequent due to deforestation, allowing red foxes to colonise grey 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]]
[[Wolf|Wolves]] may kill and eat red foxes in disputes over carcasses.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/><ref name="Mech 2003">{{cite book |author1=Mech, L. David |author2=Boitani, Luigi |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 areas in North America where red fox and [[coyote]] populations are sympatric, red fox ranges tend to be located outside coyote territories. The principal cause of this separation is believed to be active avoidance of coyotes by the red foxes. 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, Alan B |author2=Allen, Stephen H. |name-list-style=amp |title=Observed interactions between coyotes and red foxes |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |year=1989 |issue=3 |pages=631–633 |url=http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/mammals/cfoxint/ |volume=70 |jstor=1381437 |doi=10.2307/1381437 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114195545/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/mammals/cfoxint/ |archive-date=14 November 2007}}</ref> In Israel, red foxes share their habitat with [[golden jackal]]s. Where their ranges meet, the two canids compete due to near-identical diets. Red foxes ignore golden jackal scents or tracks in their territories and avoid close physical proximity with golden jackals themselves. In areas where golden jackals become very abundant, the population of red foxes decreases significantly, apparently because of [[Competitive exclusion principle|competitive exclusion]].<ref name="RF">{{cite journal |author1=Scheinin, Shani |author2=Yom-Tov, Yoram |author3=Motro, Uzi |author4=Geffen, Eli |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 |url=http://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/zoology/members/yom-tov/articles/Behavioural_responses_of_red_foxes.pdf |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.05.022 |s2cid=38578736 |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>
[[File:Aquila chrysaetos 1 (Bohuš Číčel).jpg|thumb|A [[golden eagle]] feeding on a red fox]]
Red foxes dominate [[raccoon dog]]s, sometimes killing their kits or biting 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"/>
Red foxes may kill small [[mustelid]]s like [[Least weasel|weasel]]s,<ref name="mammals-of-na"/> [[stone marten]]s,<ref name="z134">{{Harvnb|Sillero-Zubiri|Hoffman|MacDonald|2004|p=134}}</ref> [[pine marten]]s (''martes martes''), [[stoat]]s, [[
Red foxes may compete with [[striped hyena]]s on large carcasses. Red foxes may give way to striped hyenas on unopened carcasses, as the latter's stronger jaws can easily tear open flesh that is too tough for red foxes. Red foxes may harass striped hyenas, using their smaller size and greater speed to avoid the hyena's attacks. Sometimes, red foxes seem to deliberately torment striped hyenas even when there is no food at stake. Some red foxes may
In Eurasia, red foxes may be preyed upon by [[leopard]]s, [[caracal]]s and [[Eurasian lynx]]es. The Eurasian lynxes chase red foxes into deep snow, where their long legs and larger paws give them an advantage over red foxes, especially when the depth of the snow exceeds one meter.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> In the [[Velikoluksky District]] in Russia, red foxes are absent or are seen only occasionally where Eurasian lynxes establish permanent territories.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> Researchers consider Eurasian lynxes to represent considerably less danger to red foxes than wolves do.<ref name="mammals-of-ussr"/> North American felid predators of red foxes include [[cougar]]s, [[Canada lynx]]es and [[bobcat]]s.<ref name=lariviere/>
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===Diseases and parasites===
[[File:Vulpes vulpes, Red Fox, Zorro.jpg|left|thumb|A European fox (''V.
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. 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.
==Relationships with humans==
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