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Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Mammal · family Canidae · order Carnivora

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Red Fox
Photo: ClaudiaTen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
48 states[3]
Longest recorded life
21.3 years[4]

The red fox is a wild member of the dog family, Canidae, in the order Carnivora[5]. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe records it as native in 48 US states and territories[3].

Conservation status

NatureServe ranks the red fox as Secure worldwide (G5)[2] and Secure across the United States (N5)[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. It is not listed under the Endangered Species Act[1]. It is on CITES Appendix III, which means its international trade is subject to some controls[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
CITES (international trade)[8] Appendix III

Where Red Fox lives

NatureServe lists the red fox as native in 48 US states and territories, from Alaska and Maine to Florida, Texas and California[3]. In Pennsylvania and Tennessee it is listed as introduced, meaning it was not originally found there[9]. Its conservation rank differs from state to state, and Washington gives it the lowest rank on the state list[10].

Alaska: native, state rank S5AKMaine: native, state rank S5MEWisconsin: native, state rank S4WIVermont: native, state rank S5VTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5NHWashington: native, state rank S1WAIdaho: native, state rank S4IDMontana: native, state rank S5MTNorth Dakota: native, state rank S5NDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S5MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S5MAOregon: native, state rank S4ORNevada: native, state rank S3NVWyoming: native, state rank S5WYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5SDIowa: native, state rank S4IAIndiana: native, state rank S5INOhio: native, state rank SNROHPennsylvania: introduced, state rank SNAPANew Jersey: native, state rank S5NJConnecticut: native, state rank S5CTRhode Island: native, state rank S5RICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: native, state rank S5UTColorado: native, state rank S5CONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank S4MOKentucky: native, state rank S5KYWest Virginia: native, state rank S5WVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S5MDDelaware: native, state rank S5DEArizona: native, state rank S3AZNew Mexico: native, state rank S3NMKansas: native, state rank S4KSArkansas: native, state rank S4ARTennessee: introduced, state rank SNATNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S4NCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S5SCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S4DCOklahoma: native, state rank SNAOKLouisiana: native, state rank S4LAMississippi: native, state rank S4MSAlabama: native, state rank S4ALGeorgia: native, state rank S5GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S4TXFlorida: native, state rank SNRFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (50 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS4Apparently Secure
AlaskaS5Secure
ArizonaS3Vulnerable
ArkansasS4Apparently Secure
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
ColoradoS5Secure
ConnecticutS5Secure
DelawareS5Secure
District of ColumbiaS4Apparently Secure
FloridaSNRNot Ranked
GeorgiaS5Secure
IdahoS4Apparently Secure
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS5Secure
IowaS4Apparently Secure
KansasS4Apparently Secure
KentuckyS5Secure
LouisianaS4Apparently Secure
MaineS5Secure
MarylandS5Secure
MassachusettsS5Secure
MichiganS5Secure
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
MississippiS4Apparently Secure
MissouriS4Apparently Secure
MontanaS5Secure
NebraskaS5Secure
NevadaS3Vulnerable
New HampshireS5Secure
New JerseyS5Secure
New MexicoS3Vulnerable
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
North DakotaS5Secure
OhioSNRNot Ranked
OklahomaSNANot Applicable
OregonS4Apparently Secure
PennsylvaniaSNANot Applicable
Rhode IslandS5Secure
South CarolinaS5Secure
South DakotaS5Secure
TennesseeSNANot Applicable
TexasS4Apparently Secure
UtahS5Secure
VermontS5Secure
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonS1Critically Imperiled
West VirginiaS5Secure
WisconsinS4Apparently Secure
WyomingS5Secure

Habitat

Red foxes use many kinds of open and partly open country, including grassland, old fields, shrubland, savanna, cropland edges and land along streams[11]. They tend to stay out of thick forest but often use open woods[12]. Some live near people in suburbs or towns[11][12]. Mothers raise their young in underground dens, either dug by the fox or taken over from other animals, and sometimes in hollow logs or beneath buildings on farms[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[11]

Size, diet and lifespan

The red fox eats a wide mix of foods depending on what it can find, such as rabbits, mice, birds, insects, fruit, dead animals and human trash[13]. One estimate puts its diet at 70% warm-blooded animals, 20% insects and other invertebrates and 10% fruit[14]. A typical adult is about 103 cm (41 in) long[15] and weighs about 15 lb[16]. Pregnancy lasts about 52 days[17], and a typical litter has 5 young[18]. The oldest known red fox lived in captivity, and its age is a record rather than a typical lifespan[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[15] 103 cm (41 in)
Typical adult weight[16] 6.8 kg (15 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 21.3 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[18] 5
Gestation or incubation[17] 52 days
Female maturity[19] 304 days (about 0.8 years)
Food habits[20] Carnivore, Invertivore, Frugivore
Active[21] nocturnal, crepuscular
Migration[22] non-migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[14]

  • 70% warm-blooded vertebrates
  • 20% invertebrates
  • 10% fruit

When to look for it

Red foxes are mostly active at night and at dusk and dawn, which biologists call crepuscular[23][24]. They do not migrate[22]. They mate in winter, and young are born in March or April and become independent by fall[25]. On GBIF, most US sightings are reported in April, May and June, which reflects when people look and report[26].

January: 3,888 recordsJanFebruary: 2,712 recordsFebMarch: 3,213 recordsMarApril: 5,107 recordsAprMay: 6,030 recordsMayJune: 4,505 recordsJunJuly: 3,453 recordsJulAugust: 2,871 recordsAugSeptember: 2,783 recordsSepOctober: 2,759 recordsOctNovember: 3,040 recordsNovDecember: 3,229 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[26].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January3,888
February2,712
March3,213
April5,107
May6,030
June4,505
July3,453
August2,871
September2,783
October2,759
November3,040
December3,229

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Red Fox as present in 150 park units[27]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 126 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Maryland, Virginia, Alaska, New York, Pennsylvania[28]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Safety around this animal

These tips are quoted in summary from official agencies. We add no advice of our own. Follow local rules and the agency pages linked below.

From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • In the United States, the animals most often found with rabies are bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes.
  • Rabies spreads mainly through bites and scratches. It is fatal once symptoms start but preventable with prompt care.
  • Contact with bats is the leading cause of human rabies deaths in the United States.
  • After a bite or scratch, wash it right away with soap and water and get medical care urgently. Keep wildlife wild by staying away.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[29]

Questions people ask

Is the red fox endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe ranks it Secure (G5) worldwide[2].
Where do red foxes live in the US?
NatureServe lists the red fox as native in 48 US states and territories[3] and as introduced in Pennsylvania and Tennessee[9].
What do red foxes eat?
They eat whatever is available, from rabbits and mice to birds, insects, fruit and trash[13]. One estimate puts the diet at 70% warm-blooded animals, 20% invertebrates and 10% fruit[14].
How big is a red fox?
A typical adult is about 103 cm (41 in) long[15] and weighs about 15 lb[16].

Facts and sources

  1. Red Fox is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Red Fox: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Red Fox as native in 48 US states and territories: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 21.3 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a mammal in the family Canidae, order Carnivora. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. CITES listing recorded by NatureServe: Appendix III (controls on international trade). NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe lists Red Fox as introduced (not native) in: Pennsylvania, Tennessee. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Red Fox (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. Habitat types NatureServe records for Red Fox: Forest - hardwood, Forest - conifer, Forest - mixed, Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - conifer, Woodland - mixed, Shrubland/chaparral, Savanna, Grassland/herbaceous, Old field, Cropland/hedgerow,... NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for Red Fox. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on food for Red Fox. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 70% warm-blooded vertebrates, 20% invertebrates, 10% fruit. EltonTraits 1.0
  15. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 103 cm (41 in). NatureServe Explorer
  16. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 6.8 kg (15 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  17. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 52 days. AnAge
  18. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 5. AnAge
  19. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 304 days (about 0.8 years). AnAge
  20. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore, Invertivore, Frugivore. NatureServe Explorer
  21. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: nocturnal, crepuscular. EltonTraits 1.0
  22. NatureServe migration category for Red Fox: non-migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  23. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Nocturnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  24. NatureServe notes on phenology for Red Fox. NatureServe Explorer
  25. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Red Fox. NatureServe Explorer
  26. GBIF observation records of Red Fox in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  27. NPSpecies park lists recording Red Fox as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  28. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Red Fox: Maryland, Virginia, Alaska, New York, Pennsylvania. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  29. Safety guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: ClaudiaTen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.