How to Tell the Difference Between a Fox and a Coyote

A fox is a small to medium-sized mammal from the Canidae family, commonly known as a dog or a dog.

Found everywhere, apart from Antarctica, foxes prefer forested areas, but they also occasionally explore grasslands, mountains and deserts.

But that doesn’t mean that when you consider thousands of amazing animals, the fox is so unique that you can’t find another animal like it.

This article takes you through some of the fox-like animals and points out how they are different.

You will also know where these fox-like creatures can be found.

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Some of the fox-like animals include Jackals, Korean jindos, Finnish Spitzs, Coyotes, Dholes, Culpeos, Wolves, Mountain Lions, Common cats, Margays, Red pandas, Dingos, Bobcats.

But before that, let’s take a quick look at pictures of foxes so you can spot the similarities.

The red fox is the largest of the 12 fox species, and most of its members share a similar red/orange color.

But the animal is not completely red-orange, because it is white on the belly with dark brown legs.

All foxes have thin noses, and their ears are triangular like some dogs.

They also have bushy tails and grow whiskers not only on their faces but also on their legs.

Rare during the day, these cunning animals are active at night, either just walking around or looking for food.

When it comes to food, meat is the priority of foxes, and the animals have excellent sense of smell and hearing and can run at 30 to 40 miles per hour, making them excellent hunters. .

In social behavior, foxes are generally solitary animals and are seen in pairs when mating or raising their young.

13 different fox-like animals

Wild dogs are medium-sized mammals, native to Africa and Eurasia, and their preferred habitats are scrub, mountains, and savannahs.

They belong to the Canidae family and are closely related to foxes, wolves, and wolves.

Like foxes, wolves have an athletic physique well-suited to running long distances while maintaining the same speed as their cousins.

And although wolves have slightly longer ears than foxes, they have the same straight and triangular shape.

Also, both animals have long, bushy tails.

Moreover, although they are social animals that live in pairs, wolves fiercely defend their territory against intruders, such as foxes.

Wolves also exhibit feeding behavior similar to foxes, as, although they are hunters, they take advantage of any fruit they come across.

Korean Jindos are medium-sized indigenous dogs from Jindo Island in South Korea.

Jindo dogs are also popular in South Korean households because they make great pets.

Apart from the color, the Korean Jindo is similar to the fox due to its similar appearance.

Dogs are also intelligent, like foxes.

And while jindos are loyal to their owners when kept as pets, they are still territorial in their own sense, defending their territory against invading animals and other strangers.

The Finnish Spitz is a medium-sized dog breed from Finland.

They are kept as hunting pets, and are also the national dog of the country.

Like foxes, these dogs are intelligent and always alert and active, making them excellent hunters.

And even if it is found at home, you can easily mistake the Finnish Spitz for a fox, because of the shape of its whole body, including the straight and triangular ears.

Dogs also show the same behavior as foxes, protecting their owners.

Coyotes are small to medium-sized mammals native to North America.

Coyotes have a wide range of habitats, including deserts and grasslands.

These North American mammals resemble foxes, with their lean, athletic bodies, bushy tails, and upright ears.

Coyotes also exhibit similar behavior to foxes, as they are primary carnivores, although you can occasionally find fruit in their diet.

They are also very good hunters, like their cousins, and usually travel alone and are rarely seen in pairs.

The main difference between the two animals is that coyotes have brown feet.

Also known as red foxes or red dogs, dholes are canids native to Southeast Asia and Central and South America, and their range ranges from mountainous regions to alpine meadows.

Because of their body type, dholes are so similar to foxes that you can call them cousins, especially the Arabian foxes, because of their coloration.

Animals are also good hunters and can kill prey larger than themselves.

To be different, the dhole is a social animal that lives in tribes of about 40 people.

Culpeos are the second largest member of the Canidae family and are more closely related to wolves and wolves.

From a distance, the culpeo is called a fox, because its face resembles that of a red fox due to evolutionary development.

Culpeos deserve the nickname ‘Andean fox’ because of their shape and color similar to that of many foxes.

Andean foxes also share the same behavior as foxes, as they live alone and only come together during the breeding season.

They are also omnivores, like their counterparts.

Wolves are among the largest members of the Canidae family and are found only in North America and Eurasia, where they live in a variety of habitats, including deserts, grasslands, forests, and tundra.

To the untrained eye, it is easy to confuse wolves and foxes.

Wolves have many characteristics similar to foxes, including long, bushy tails and pointed ears.

Not only in appearance, but wolves also have over 200 million receptors in their noses, plus a good sense of smell to detect prey up to six miles away, such as foxes.

However, if you are diligent, you will find wolves with wider snouts and larger than foxes.

Also known as the cougar, the mountain lion is the second largest cat after the tiger.

Cougars are native to America, and you may find them in deer areas.

Mountain lions may be from the cat family, but they resemble foxes in some ways.

Although they have different body types, they all have beards on their faces.

They also exhibit the same behavior, with both animals leading solitary lives.

In addition, cougars and lions are effective hunters at night, thanks to their very sensitive whiskers.

But, unlike foxes, mountain lions do not prefer to eat plants.

Domestic cats are other felines similar to foxes.

Although cats and foxes are from different families, they share several physical similarities.

Both animals have straight ears, sharp, removable claws, and whiskers on their faces and legs.

Cats also behave like foxes, as they are active at night and can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.

Margay is a small cat that lives in South and Central America, living in dense and evergreen forests.

Apart from their color and size, margays look like foxes.

They have thick hair, straight ears and long tails.

Apart from the physical similarities, cats live alone like foxes and spend most of their time sleeping in trees because they are nocturnal.

Also, both animals share the same food, although the cat is not as opportunistic as the fox.

Related to the raccoon, the red panda is a small mammal that lives in southwestern China and the eastern Himalayas.

They prefer to climb high mountain peaks in coniferous forests rather than descend steep slopes in search of water.

The red panda has a long tail, upright ears and a body covered in red fur like some fox species.

Also, these small mammals are solitary and defend their territory against fox aggression.

Dingos are medium-sized mammals from the Canidae family, although their classification is debatable.

Like many breeds of dogs, you might mistake dingos for foxes, due to their athletic bodies and similar physical features such as upright, triangular ears and long tails.

In addition, like foxes, Dingos are omnivores with their diet consisting of rodents, rabbits, fruits and other materials.

They also exhibit nocturnal behavior when they live in warmer areas.

Young male dingoes tend to live alone, but adults are often found in packs of about 10 individuals.

Also known as the red lynx, Bobcats are medium-sized felines native to North America.

Their bodies are covered in purple feathers with black and brown stripes or spots.

Aside from their upright ears, bobcats don’t have many physical characteristics to share with foxes.

Cats, however, exhibit several behaviors that make them similar to foxes.

They are primarily solitary animals and, although not nocturnal, they prefer to hunt at dusk and early morning when there is no light.

In addition, small animals have good hearing and a strong sense of smell to make them suitable hunters.

Additionally, bobcats have been known to hunt and kill animals up to 10 times their size, such as pronghorn.

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Most of us only catch glimpses of coyotes or foxes, and these brief encounters can leave us wondering what species we’re seeing.

In addition to dogs, our kingdom has three members of the Canidae family, a word derived from the Latin word for dog, “canis”. Here is a first for wild dogs in the Commonwealth.

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Of the three types, this is the one you’ll see the most.

They are very adaptable animals, found in most of North America, Europe and Asia, and survive well in built-up environments.

To identify a red fox, look for these characteristics:

His lower legs were black, like he was wearing black socks

The tail is long, usually the same as the body, with a white tip

This amazing animal is not just a gray red fox — it belongs to another species, or group in the animal family, and has unusual characteristics.

Like cats, their claws are removable, and they can climb trees and jump from branches.

It is rarer because it doesn’t wander much and tends to stick to forest areas.

Here’s how to tell you’re looking at a gray fox:

No black stockings like a red fox

Large coyotes are twice the size of gray foxes, and coyotes in the eastern United States tend to be larger than those in the west.

The resulting animal is larger than the western coyote, and has wolf-like characteristics, including smaller ears and longer legs.

Coyotes are very adaptable and can be found in developed areas, but tend to be shy and elusive.

Here’s how to spot a coyote:

Long legs

A relatively short, dark tail hangs when running

Learn more about coyotes on our Nature and Wildlife page, and share your coyote sightings with us here and on our Facebook page.