Where does the red fox live?
The red fox lives across almost the entire Northern Hemisphere: in Europe, Asia, North America and North Africa. It is the wild carnivore with the largest range. It adapts to very different habitats, from desert to the Arctic Circle, and even to cities. People also introduced it to Australia in the 1830s and 1840s, so that settlers could hunt foxes the English way.
What does the red fox eat?
The red fox is an omnivore that leans towards meat. It eats mostly rodents and rabbits, but also insects, fish and fruit. Very opportunistic, it changes its menu with the seasons. It lives in family groups on a territory it marks with urine, and young from the previous year sometimes help raise the kits. Agile, it can jump over a fence more than 2 m high and it swims well. Its bushy tail, longer than half its body, reaches the ground when it stands.
Is the red fox endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, and it is one of the most widespread mammals in the world. Its range covers about 70,000,000 km². In Australia, estimates in 2012 put the number at more than 7.2 million foxes. Because of its impact on native species, it is even on the list of the world's 100 worst invasive species.
