The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest of the true foxes, and the most widely distributed member of the order Carnivora. It is present across the entire Northern Hemisphere, including most of North America, Europe and Asia, as well as parts of North Africa. Its range has expanded alongside human settlement, with the species having been introduced to Australia, where it preys on native small and medium-sized rodents and marsupials. The red fox is listed as of least concern on the IUCN Red List. Because of its impact on native species, it is included on the list of the "world's 100 worst invasive species". The red fox originated in Eurasia during the Middle Pleistocene at least 400,000 years ago and later colonised North America sometime prior to 130,000 years ago. Apart from its large size, the red fox is distinguished from other fox species by its ability to adapt quickly to new environments. Despite its name, the species often produces individuals with other colourings, including leucistic and melanistic individuals. Forty-five subspecies are currently recognised, which can be divided into two categories: the large northern foxes and the small, basal southern grey desert foxes of Asia and North Africa. Red foxes are usually found in pairs or in small family groups consisting of a mated pair and their young, or a male with several females related to each other. The young of the mated pair stay with their parents to help care for the new kits. The species primarily feeds on small rodents, though it may also target rabbits, squirrels, game birds, reptiles, invertebrates and young ungulates. They also eat fruit and vegetables. Although the red fox tends to kill smaller predators, including other fox species, it is vulnerable to attack from predators, such as golden eagles, Eurasian goshawks, Bonelli's eagles, Eurasian eagle-owls, long-tailed weasels, ermines, striped skunks, American mink, snakes, martens (the birds of prey feed on young and adult red foxes, while the other predators may occasionally feed on young kits), and medium- and large-sized felids. The species has a long history of association with humans. It has been extensively hunted as a pest and furbearer for many centuries, and is represented in human folklore and mythology. Due to its widespread distribution and large population, the red fox is one of the most important fur-bearing animals harvested for the fur trade. Too small to pose a significant threat to humans, it has greatly benefited from the presence of human habitation, and has successfully colonised many suburban and urban areas. The domestication of the red fox is also underway in Russia, and has resulted in the domesticated silver fox.
Terminology
Males are called tods or dogs, females are called vixens, and young are known as cubs or kits. Although the Arctic fox has a small native population in northern Scandinavia, and while the corsac fox's range extends into European Russia, the red fox is the only fox native to Western Europe. For this reason, it is simply called "the fox" in colloquial British English.
Etymology The word "fox" comes from Old English, which in turn derived from Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz. Compare with West Frisian foks, Dutch vos, and German Fuchs. This, in turn, derives from Proto-Indo-European *puḱ- 'thick-haired; tail'. Compare to the Hindi pū̃ch 'tail', Tocharian B päkā 'tail; chowrie', and Lithuanian pūkas 'fur / fluff'. The fox's bushy tail also forms the basis for its Welsh name, llwynog, literally 'bushy', from llwyn 'bush'. Likewise, Portuguese: raposa from rabo 'tail', Lithuanian uodẽgis from uodegà 'tail', and Ojibwe waagosh from waa, which refers to the up and down "bounce" or flickering of an animal or its tail. The scientific term vulpes derives from the Latin word for fox, and gives the adjectives vulpine and vulpecular.
Evolution The red fox is Eurasian in origin and may have evolved from either Vulpes alopecoides or the related Chinese V. chikushanensis, both of which lived during the Middle Villafranchian of the Pleistocene Epoch. The earliest fossil specimens of V. vulpes were uncovered in Baranya County, Hungary, dating from 3.4 to 1.8 million years ago. The ancestral red fox was likely more diminutive compared to today's extant foxes, as the earliest red fox fossils have shown a smaller build than living specimens. The earliest fossil remains of the modern species date back to the mid-Pleistocene, found in association with middens and refuse left by early human settlements. This has led to the theory that the red fox was hunted by primitive humans (as both a source of food and pelts); the possibility also exists of red foxes scavenging from middens or butchered animal carcasses. The sister lineage to the red fox is the Rüppell's fox, but the two species are surprisingly closely related through mitochondrial DNA markers, with Rüppell's fox nested within the red fox lineage. Such a nesting of one species within another is called paraphyly. Several hypotheses have been suggested to explain this, including (1) recent divergence of Rüppell's fox from a red fox lineage, (2) incomplete lineage sorting, or introgression of mtDNA between the two species. Based on the fossil record, the last scenario seems the most likely. This is further supported by the clear ecological and morphological differences between the two species.
Colonisation of North America
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
