Vulpes vulpes the Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes the Red Fox

Figure 1: Vulpes vulpes (Red Fox) ‘Fox posing for the camera’.

The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) evolved roughly 4 – 4.5 million years ago and is the largest fox within the Vulpes genus (Macdonald, 2009). It is natively found in the northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North African and Central American deserts and has been introduced into Asiatic steppes (Figure 2) (Macdonald, 2009). This fox has been forced to adapt to multiple habitats due to its extensive range. During the autumn and winter, the fox will grow a thicker pelt; this "winter fur" keeps the animal warm in the colder environments. The newly grown fur will then shed at the onset of spring, reverting back to short fur for the duration of the summer (Macdonald, 1988), this is one example of how this species has adapted itself to best suit its surrounding environments and climatic conditions.

V. vulpes are skilful predators. Their prey includes insects, small mammals and sometimes birds (Henry, 1986). However the Red Fox is omnivorous, feeding on plants as well as animals, typically eating ½ to 1kg of food a day, roughly 10% of its body weight (Amaike et al., 2015). The Red Fox is an opportunistic feeder that samples any acceptable food, taking advantage of any seasonally abundant food (Henry, 1986). These abilities to grow a thick pelt in the winter and to change diet from season to season shows how this animal is a highly adaptable species that is able to occupy many different environments, niches and habitats and adapt itself to have the best possible chance at survival.