Vulpes vulpes
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Red Fox
Distribution :
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Geogria, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, North and South Korea, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, USA (Alaska, throughout most of the contiguous 48 states except central plains and SW deserts), Uzbekistan, Vietnam. Introduced to Australia.
Image courtesy of the ASM Mammal Images Library · MIL ID: 435
Taxonomy
| Subclass | : Theria |
| Infraclass | : Placentalia |
| Magnorder | : Boreoeutheria |
| Superorder | : Laurasiatheria |
| Order | : Carnivora |
| Suborder | : Caniformia |
| Infraorder | : Cynoidea |
| Family | : Canidae |
| Subfamily | : Caninae |
| Tribe | : Vulpini |
| Genus | : Vulpes |
Species status
Authority citation
Linnaeus, C. 1758-01-01. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 823 pp.
Authority publication link
Original name as described
Canis Vulpes
Other common names
Silver Fox · Cross Fox
Type locality
Sweden.
Biogeographic realm
Nearctic · Palearctic
Country distribution
Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Belarus · Belgium · Bhutan · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Canada · China · Croatia · Czech Republic · Denmark · Egypt · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Greece · Greenland · Hungary · India · Iran · Iraq · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kosovo · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Latvia · Lebanon · Libya · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Moldova · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Myanmar · Nepal · Netherlands · North Korea · North Macedonia · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Russia · Saudi Arabia · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · South Korea · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Syria · Tajikistan · Tunisia · Turkey · Turkmenistan · Ukraine · United Arab Emirates · United Kingdom · United States · Uzbekistan · Yemen
Subregion distribution
USA(AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY)
Taxonomy notes
some publications have recognized two distinct species of red fox, V. vulpes from the Palearctic and northwestern Nearctic and V. fulva from the rest of the Nearctic; however, this arrangement leaves Palearctic V. vulpes paraphyletic, since some archaic clades of Palearctic red fox (from West Asia and North Africa primarily) are sister to the Eurasian + North American clades; the second North American species (fulva) is tentatively retained under V. vulpes here pending further studies investigating the position of the archaic Eurasian clades
Taxonomy notes citation
Statham, M.J., Murdoch, J., Janecka, J., Aubry, K.B., Edwards, C.J., Soulsbury, C.D., Berry, O., Wang, Z.-h., Harrison, D., Pearch, M.J., Tomsett, L., Chupasko, J. and Sacks, B.N. 2014. Range-wide multilocus phylogeography of the red fox reveals ancient continental divergence, minimal genomic exchange and distinct demographic histories. Molecular Ecology 23(19):4813-4830. doi:10.1111/mec.12898 · Sacks, B.N., Lounsberry, Z.T. and Statham, M.J. 2018. Nuclear genetic analysis of the red fox across its Trans-Pacific range. Journal of Heredity 109(5):573-584. doi:10.1093/jhered/esy028
IUCN Red List status
Least Concern
Species Permalink
Country distribution map
The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.
Names and synonyms
Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details.
Total: 241 names and synonyms.
231 more names and synonyms available — use the desktop version to see them all.
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