Fox

Foxes are small dog-like mammals in the Canidae family.

Red Fox

Public domain picture from U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [full size image 900Kb]

It includes the genus Vulpes and several others. V. vulpes is the world-wide Red Fox, often taken to be the fox.

Foxes are not pack-hunting animals, but are solitary hunters that encroach on each others' territories usually only during the mating season.

Foxes include members of the following genera:

• Vulpes ("foxes" sensu stricto, ten species)
• Alopex (arctic fox)
• Fennecus (Fennec fox, one species)
• Urocyon (Gray foxes, two species)
• Lycalopex (Hoary fox, one species)
• Pseudalopex (S. American foxes, four species)
• Dusicyon (Falkland Island fox, one species)
• Cerdocyon (Crab-eating fox, one species)

The term fox does not include dogs, wolves, coyotes and jackals who are members of the genus Canis.