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The '''red fox''' ('''''Vulpes vulpes''''') is a [[species]] of [[Caninae|canine]] [[mammal]] and the largest of the [[true fox]]es, andas well as 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 }}</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"/>
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