The Red Fox (Vulpes
vulpes), the most familiar of the foxes, has the widest range
of any terrestrial carnivore. The largest species within the genus
Vulpes, Red Foxes have a native range spanning most of North America
and Eurasia, with several populations in North Africa. In the
19th century the Red Fox was introduced into Australia with dire
results. It is now thought to be the most destructive of feral
species on that continent, responsible for more damage than both
feral cats and rabbits, see also fox. Red Foxes have both positive
and negative standing with humans; while they are vectors of disease
and a bane of poultry farmers, these foxes are also important
to the fur industry. A prominent cultural impact is that of fox
hunting, a long-practised but now controversial British tradition.
|
|
A subspecies,
the Japanese Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes japonica) migrated from India
to China and eventually to Japan. It is also known by the Japanese
name kitsune. Red foxes are most commonly a rusty red, with white
underbelly and black ear tips and legs. The "red" tone
can vary from crimson to golden, and in fact can be brindled or
agouti, with bands of red, brown, black and white on each individual
hair when seen close up. In the wild, two other color phases are
also seen: silver or black (silver foxes, comprising 10% of the
wild population and most of the farmed), and a more common variant,
the so-called "cross fox", named for the black stripes
running across its shoulders and down its back and forming a "cross"
on an otherwise red background. "Domesticated" or farmed
stock may be almost any color, including spotted, or "marbled",
varieties.
Above Images Come From The US Fish & Wildlife Service
|
