What is a fox?
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Basic Information
Fox- {Noun} A carnivorous mammal of the dog family with a pointed muzzle and bushy tail.
Male foxes: known as dogs, tods, or reynards.
Female foxes: known as Vixens
Young foxes: known as cubs, pups, and kits.
There is also a species of foxes known as Kit Foxes.
A group of foxes is called a Skulk or Leash.
Species
The Vulpes is made up of 12 species. Vulpes also is known as 'True Foxes'. True foxes are distinguished from members of genus Canis.
Vulpes Bengalensis- The Indian Fox or Bengal Fox, located in the Indian subcontinent. It can be found and near the Himalayan foothills all the way to southeastern Bangladesh. relatively small fox with an elongated muzzle, long, pointed ears, and a bushy tail about 50 to 60% of the length of the head and body. Its dorsal fur is very variable, but mostly grayish and paler ventrally; its legs tend to be brownish. Its nose is naked and the lips are black, with small black hair patches on the upper part of the nuzzle in front of eyes. The ears have the same color as the nape or maybe darker. Variation in coat color exists across populations and seasonally, but generally varies from grey to pale brown. The head and body length is approximately 18 in, with a 10 in long tail. The average weight is 5 to 9 pounds.
Vulpes Lagopus - Arctic Fox, sometimes referred to as polar fox, snow fox, or white fox. Native to Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. While living in cold environments, they are best known for its thick, warm fur that is also used for camouflage. On average, Arctic foxes only live 3–4 years in the wild. Their body length ranges from 18 to 27 in, with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of any body heat.
Vulpes Cana - Blanford's Fox, is a small fox found in certain regions of the Middle East and Central Asia. Blanford's fox is named after the English naturalist William Thomas Blanford, who discovered it in 1877. They are around 12-17 inches long, and have a 12-inch tail. They are Omnivores but are more frugivorous than other foxes. They have a diet preference of seedless grapes, ripe melons, and Russian chives when consuming domestic crops.
Vulpes Chama - Cape Fox, sometimes called the cama fox or the silver-backed fox. Located in the south of Africa, including Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. They require semiarid and arid environments with rich grasslands. The Cape fox is roughly 17.5 to 24 in long, with a 12 to 15.5 tail. Common weight is 7.9 to 11 LBS.
Vulpes Corsac - Corsac Fox, also known as the steppe fox, they are a medium-sized fox found in steppes, semi-deserts and deserts in Central Asia, ranging into Mongolia and northeastern China. sometimes referred to as the "sand fox", but this terminology is confusing because two other species, the Tibetan sand fox and Ruppell's fox are also sometimes known by this name. The word "corsac" comes from the Russian name for the animal, "korsák" (корса́к).
Vulpes Zerda - Fennec fox, lives in the northernmost sections of Africa. It was not previously within Vulpes, but genetic evidence shows its close relation with Blanford's fox, making it a true fox.
Vulpes Macrotis - Kit foxes, are an arid area-dwelling North American species. They are found in Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, California, New Mexico, and Texas.
Vulpes Pallida - Pale fox, lives in upper-middle Africa and is an arid area-dwelling species.
Vulpes Rueppellii - Ruppell's fox, are specific to northern Africa and sections of the Middle East.
Vulpes Vulpes - Red Fox, This species’ ancestor (either V. alopecoides or the related Chinese V. chikushanensi) originated in the Early Pleistocene and they are most closely related to Ruppell's fox (V. rueppellii). These foxes are the most known and common foxes out there. They currently live in most sections of the Northern Hemisphere. They also are present in Australia, though they were brought there by humans for fox hunting in the 1830s and are considered an invasive species.
Vulpes Velox - Swift fox, found in the western grasslands of North America, specifically Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as some sections of Canada. This species is most closely related to the kit fox, but lives in a different section of North America. The two can interbreed.
Vulpes Ferrilata - Tibetan sand fox, as the name suggests, is endemic to the Tibetan and Ladakh plateau in Nepal, China, Sikkim, and Bhutan. This species lives at altitudes up to 5300 m and semideserts.