Animal Facts
Fox Facts & Trivia: Fascinating Things to Know
Foxes act more like cats than dogs in several ways: grey foxes can retract their claws and climb trees, a trick no other canine can manage, and leg whiskers plus sharp night vision help them hunt after dark. The fennec fox weighs just 3 pounds, Arctic foxes tolerate temperatures down to -70°C, and a red fox's hearing is sharp enough to pick up a ticking watch from 40 yards away.
Foxes have a reputation for being clever, but there's more to these small, quick-footed canines than the folklore lets on. They belong to the dog family, yet several of their habits, like their hunting style and their family life, feel borrowed from cats instead. Here's a rundown of what makes them so unusual, plus a look at how they've turned up in our movies and songs over the years.
Fascinating Fox Facts
Foxes belong to the dog family (Canidae), sitting under the order Carnivora, class Mammalia, phylum Chordata, and kingdom Animalia — but they don't act much like typical dogs. A female is known as a vixen, while males go by dog fox or tod, and a gathering of foxes is called a skulk or a leash.
Scientists recognize 37 fox species in total, though only 12 of those — the true foxes — fall under the genus Vulpes.
What really sets foxes apart is how much they borrow from feline behavior. They hunt mostly at night, rely on sharp vision suited to darkness, and grey foxes can even retract their claws and climb trees — a skill no other member of the dog family shares.
Add in whiskers on their legs as well as their face for extra navigation help, and it's easy to see why people sometimes mistake them for something between a dog and a cat.
- Newborn fox pups arrive unable to see, hear, or walk, and typically stay with their parents for more than six months.
- Foxes are omnivores with a flexible diet, eating anything from berries to birds.
- The tiny fennec fox tips the scales at just 3 pounds and makes its home in the Sahara.
- Arctic foxes are built for extremes, tolerating temperatures as low as -70°C.
- A red fox's hearing is so sharp it's said to pick up a ticking watch from 40 yards off.
- Bat-eared foxes hunt largely by sound, listening for insects moving underground.
- That distinct musky odor foxes carry comes from scent glands near the base of the tail.
- In short bursts, a fox can sprint at roughly 23 miles per hour.
- Outside of mating season, foxes tend to be solitary rather than pack animals.
- Red foxes are the most widespread fox species, and despite the myths, foxes don't attack or kill humans.
Foxes in Movies, TV & Music
Foxes have made plenty of appearances on screen. There's the stop-motion charm of Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) and Disney's animated Robin Hood (1973), and on the quieter end, The Fox and the Child (2007) and the animated classic The Fox and the Hound (1981).
Older titles round out the list too, including A Life of a Silver Fox (1973), The Belstone Fox (1973), and the fantasy romance My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox (2011).
Foxes turn up in music just as often. Sweet and Manfred Mann both released songs called "Fox on the Run," Elton John sang "The Fox," Nas has a track titled "Sly Fox," and Born Ruffians contributed "Foxes Mate For Life" — a nod to the animal's more faithful side.
Famous Foxes
Fiction is full of memorable foxes. Mr. Fox headlines both the book and film versions of Fantastic Mr. Fox, while Tod carries the story in The Fox and the Hound and Vic does the same in The Little Fox. Disney has given us a few more: Foxy Loxy in Chicken Little, and the pairing of Robin Hood and Maid Marian in Disney's animated Robin Hood.
Television has its share as well, including the sitcom Crazy Like a Fox, the crafty Swiper from Dora the Explorer, the BBC's Pablo the Little Red Fox, and the animated series Maple Town, built around the Fox family. Even sports gets in on it — the Marist College athletic teams are known as the Red Foxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a female fox called?
A female fox is called a vixen, while a male is called a dog fox or a tod, and a group of foxes is known as a skulk or a leash.
Can foxes climb trees?
Grey foxes can, thanks to retractable claws similar to a cat's — they're the only member of the dog family able to climb trees this way.
How fast can a fox run?
A fox can reach speeds of around 23 miles per hour, though only for short bursts rather than sustained chases.