NPS Photo

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Vulpes

Characteristics: The red fox has orangish-red fur on its back, sides, and head. It has white fur under its neck and on its chest. It has a long bushy tail tipped in white, pointed black ears, and black legs and and feet. The red fox eats a wide variety of foods. It is an omnivore and its diet includes fruits, berries, and grasses. It also eats birds and small mammals like squirrels, rabbits and mice. A large part of the red fox's diet is made up of invertebrates like crickets, caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, and crayfish. The red fox will continue to hunt even when it is full. It stores extra food under leaves, snow, or dirt. The red fox has great alertness and keen senses of smell, hearing, and sight, which enable it to live close to human habitat without being easily noticed. The red fox is very fast and has short legs. It is the smallest member of the canine family.

Habitat: The red fox makes its home in wooded areas. Each family needs several safe dens in which to raise their cubs, in addition to safe resting sites outside of the den.