AnimalsThe red fox is the most widespread wild member of the dog family. It has a pointed face, upright ears and a bushy tail. Foxes eat almost anything, from mice and insects to fruit, and many now live in cities.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Vulpes vulpes
- Group
- Mammals
- Diet
- Omnivore (eats plants and animals)
- Lives in
- North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa
- Habitat
- Woodland, farmland, mountains and cities
- A young one is called
- kit or cub
- A group is called
- skulk
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Carnivora
- Family Canidae
- Genus Vulpes
- Species Vulpes vulpes
Other members of the family Canidae on this site: dog, wolf.
More distant relatives in the order Carnivora: brown bear, cheetah, domestic cat, giant panda, jaguar, leopard, lion, polar bear, red panda, sloth bear, snow leopard, spotted hyena.
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The red fox is listed as Least Concern. The species is widespread or numerous enough that it is not considered at risk of extinction at present.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.