Summary ²

Red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, have a wide distribution that encompasses North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia (1). In California, they are present in the higher elevation portions of the Sierra Nevadas and in the coastal counties between Sacramento and Los Angeles (1)(2). While red foxes are native to North America, many populations were introduced from Europe, including the populations in Southern California (3)(4).

Red foxes tend to live in scrub and woodland habitats; however, they are highly adaptable to new environments and can be found in both tundras and deserts (5). They are characterized by yellow-red to red-brown coats and white or ashy undersides with black legs. Their bushy tails have white tips in contrast to their pointed, black-tipped ears (6). Red foxes measure between 45.5 and 90 cm (1.5–3 ft) in length and weigh between 3 and 14 kg (6.6–30 lb) (5). They are mostly nocturnal but are also active during dusk and dawn. Red foxes hunt for ground-dwelling mammals, like rodents and rabbits, and search for fruit, vegetables, and insects (1).

Coal Oil Point Reserve Facts ²

At Coal Oil Point Reserve, red foxes occupy the dune, grassland, coastal scrub, and woodland habitats. They are uncommon at the reserve and look similar to another uncommon species at COPR: the gray fox. To distinguish between these two species, visitors can look at the tip of these foxes’ tails. Red foxes have white tail tips while gray foxes have black-tipped tails (7).

References ²

1. Kamler, J. F. (2010). Vulpes vulpes (red fox). CABI Invasive Species Compendium. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/59487#todistribution

2. Jameson, E. W., Jr., & Peeters, H. J. (2004). Mammals of California (Revised ed.). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
   Statham, M. J., Sacks, B. N., Aubry, K. B., Perrine, J. D. &. Wisely, S. M. (2012). The origin of recently established red fox populations in the United States: translocations or natural range expansions? Journal of Mammalogy, 93(1), 52–65. https://doi.org/10.1644/11-MAMM-A-033.1

3. Lewis, J. C., Sallee, K. L. & Golightly, R. T. (1999). Introduction and Range Expansion of Nonnative Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in California.

4. The American Midland Naturalist, 142(2), 372-381. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(1999)142[0372:IAREON]2.0.CO;2
   Fox, D. (2007). Vulpes vulpes. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vulpes_vulpes/

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Joanne Muis Redwood, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Joanne Muis Redwood
2. (c) copr, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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