Diversity of Foxes

There are twelve different species of true foxes. These are in the Vulpes genus of foxes. These twelve different species include; red fox, Bengal fox, arctic fox, Blanford’s fox, cape fox, corsac fox, fennec fox, kit fox, pale fox, Rueppell’s fox, swift fox, and Tibetan sand fox. These species differ by geographic location, fur color, and size. Foxes are part of the canidae family which also includes dogs, coyotes, jackals, and wolves. Their young are referred to as kits and a litter is usually three to ten kits. Around seven months of age the kits will leave their parents to go out and live on their own. What separates a fox from the other members of the canidae family is their smaller body size and flat skull structure. Another thing that is different about each species of fox is their eating habits. They can either be carnivores or omnivores. The red fox is the largest of all twelve species of foxes and it’s also the most common of the foxes because it can be found in most parts of the world. The reason these are the most commonly found foxes is because they are able to adapt to different climates.

~BP

8 thoughts on “Diversity of Foxes

  1. This is a little unrelated but I just want to say I made the connection to Pokemon immediately when I saw that they are of the Vulpes genus… and Vulpix is the fox-like Pokemon. Well played, Japan.

  2. Great topic, and looks like you have a decent amount of background research done. These midsized taxa groups can be helpful in learning about evolution and diversification in organisms. Are there specialists and generalist foxes, or does the group tend to be one or the other?

  3. Very cool topic. I knew that there were multiple breeds, but I didn’t know that there were that many of them.

  4. I always forget about foxes and all I really know is that I think they are cute. It was nice to learn something about them!

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