Foxes, known for their triangular-shaped ears, pointed snout, and long bushy tail, can be found across almost every continent except Antarctica. As omnivores, they demonstrate adaptability in various environments. Although true foxes belong to the genus Vulpes, some other animals closely resemble them and are often called “false foxes.” Regardless of their classification, these creatures captivate our interest with their charm and diverse characteristics.
In this article, we’ll explore the world of the largest foxes, ranking them by weight. Among these intriguing creatures, we’ll also discover more about the fennec fox, known for its distinctive features and ability to thrive in unique conditions. Join us on this fascinating journey as we delve into the lives of these extraordinary mammals.
10 Largest Fox: Cape Fox
Cape foxes, also known as Vulpes chama, are unique foxes that call southern Africa their home. These medium sized creatures weigh between 5.5 and 10 pounds and have a height of 12 to 14 inches at the shoulder. Their distinctive habitats include South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, often found in grasslands and lightly wooded areas.
With a beautiful blend of silvery gray or fawn fur, reddish heads, dark brown jaws, and a black-tipped tail, the Cape fox is truly a sight to behold. As omnivores, they consume a diet that consists of rodents, birds, insects, reptiles, and some fruits. However, they have been known to prey on livestock, particularly young lambs. Cape foxes face predators such as lions, leopards, and their kits can fall victim to honey badgers.
9 Largest Fox: South American Gray Fox
The South American gray fox, scientifically known as Lycalopex griseus, thrives in the southern parts of South America, particularly Argentina and Chile. These adaptable creatures inhabit a variety of environments, from warm scrublands to cold forests on both sides of the Andes mountains.
Weighing between 5 and 12 pounds, they are slightly larger than Cape foxes. Their unique appearance consists of a gray and tawny body, complemented by reddish-brown color on their heads. They maintain a diverse diet, consuming fruits, rodents, birds, bird eggs, arthropods, and small reptiles.
One interesting fact about these foxes is their competition with the much larger Culpeo fox for territory. This rivalry often results in the South American gray fox losing prime locations with an abundance of prey.
8 Largest Fox: Bat-Eared Fox
The bat-eared fox is a unique species, being the sole member of the Otocyon genus. These foxes typically weigh between 6-12 pounds and sport a tan coat with darker legs. They are easily recognizable by their remarkably large ears, which play a crucial role in thermoregulation, helping them maintain their body temperature.
Inhabiting eastern and southern Africa, bat-eared foxes can be found across countries such as Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, Sudan, South Africa, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. They thrive in short grasslands grazed by ungulates like zebras and giraffes or near the edges of woodlands.
What sets bat-eared foxes apart from their counterparts is their diet, consisting primarily of insects like ants, beetles, grasshoppers, termites, and spiders. These foxes leverage their sizable ears to locate prey by listening for telltale sounds, rather than relying on vision or olfaction.
7 Largest Fox: Tibetan Fox
The Tibetan fox, also known as Vulpes ferrilata, weighs around 8 to 12 pounds and resides in the highlands of the Tibetan Plateau in China and the Ladakh Plateau in India. These foxes thrive in the grasslands and mountainous terrains, residing at elevations ranging from 11,500 to 17,100 feet.
In contrast to other foxes, the Tibetan fox has a slimmer muzzle and jaw, as well as longer canine teeth. Their coats are commonly tan or gray, with occasional yellowish hues on their backs.
Tibetan foxes have a versatile diet, preying on rodents, hares, lizards, Tibetan antelopes, plateau pikas, and musk deer. Sometimes, they may even target livestock. While most foxes are known to be nocturnal, the Tibetan fox favors daytime hunting, as their favored prey, the pika, is diurnal.
These foxes exhibit unique social behavior, forming mated pairs that live and hunt together, accompanied by their offspring that typically stay with them until reaching the age of ten months.
6 Largest Fox: Crab-Eating Fox
The crab-eating fox, the sole species in the Cerdocyon genus, has a greyish-brown coat and typically weighs around 12 pounds. This fox species inhabits the central region of South America, dwelling in savannahs, forests, and woodland river banks.
Crab-eating foxes are monogamous creatures, with couples hunting and raising one or two litters of offspring annually. As their name implies, their diet largely consists of crabs, which they seek out in muddy floodplains. Other food sources include rodents, turtles, turtle eggs, crustaceans, lizards, and insects. The foxes’ diet fluctuates seasonally, primarily consuming crustaceans and crabs during the wet season and favoring insects when the climate is dry.
5 Largest Fox: Gray Fox
The Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is found in Central and North America, mainly inhabiting rocky and wooded regions. Once the most common fox species in the United States, it has now been surpassed by the red fox. Weighing between 7 and 13 pounds, gray foxes are easily recognizable by their gray fur, a black stripe running down their tail, and the black tip at the end of the tail.
Gray foxes have unique features compared to other foxes, such as longer and more curved claws that enable them to climb trees and oval-shaped pupils instead of slit-shaped. Preferring a solitary lifestyle, gray foxes hunt for food independently, mainly targeting birds, rodents, voles, rabbits, and insects. While gray foxes often share habitats with coyotes and bobcats, these predators typically only target young gray foxes as prey.
4 Largest Fox: Pampas Fox
The Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) typically inhabits areas with pampas grass, scrublands, and wetlands. This medium-sized fox weighs between 5 and 17 pounds and has a distinct grey coat with a black stripe down its back and white underside. There are five known subspecies, each found in different areas of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
Pampas foxes are solitary creatures, except when mating and raising their offspring. They form monogamous pairs, with young kits born from September to December annually. The kits are weaned at approximately two months of age.
Their diet is diverse as they are opportunistic predators, adapting to the available food sources. Pampas foxes must be cautious of their primary predators, the pumas and anacondas.
3 Largest Fox: Arctic Fox
The Arctic fox, known scientifically as Vulpes lagopus, is an exceptional species residing in the Arctic regions across North America, northern Asia, and Europe. Weighing up to 20 pounds, these remarkable creatures are easily identified by their dense white fur that not only provides ideal camouflage amidst the snow, but also keeps them cozy in their frigid habitat.
Arctic foxes have exceptional cold-resistance, only starting to shiver when temperatures plummet to a staggering -70°C. To combat such extreme cold, they curl up tightly, tucking their legs and heads beneath their bodies and tails to cover the most vulnerable, least insulated areas, reducing heat loss through a minimized surface area.
In terms of diet, Arctic foxes will consume any small animal they manage to catch. While they are skilled predators, they must also be cautious, as they are preyed upon by formidable creatures such as polar bears and wolves.
2 Largest Fox: Culpeo
Culpeos, also known as Andean foxes, rank as the second largest fox species and can weigh up to 30 pounds. Residing in western South America, they adapt to various environments, such as deserts, rainforests, savannahs, and grasslands. These foxes are predominantly found on the western side of the Andes mountains.
Their appearance closely resembles that of the red fox, with a reddish body, legs, and a distinct white chin. As opportunistic predators, Culpeos consume a variety of prey, including rodents, birds, rabbits, and lizards. However, their tendency to target sheep has sometimes led to them being hunted or poisoned by humans.
1 Largest Fox: Red Fox
The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) holds the title for being the world’s largest fox. Weighing up to 31 pounds and standing at 20 inches high at the shoulder, these foxes are not only large but also quite common, with an estimated 47 subspecies in existence. Recognized by their distinctive reddish fur and white chest, red foxes have an extensive range. They inhabit various regions across Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and even reach as far as the Arctic Circle.
Highly adaptable, red foxes thrive in diverse habitats. When it comes to reproduction, they typically breed once a year, giving birth in the springtime. The average litter size consists of 4 to 6 kits. As omnivores, red foxes have a versatile diet, consuming a mix of fruits, insects, and other animals based on their location’s availability.
In conclusion, the red fox stands out not only as the largest fox species but also for its adaptability, widespread distribution, and the fascinating variety in its diet.
(Photo credit: © iStock.com/Lynn_Bystrom)