Common Dodder vs Red Fox

Cuscuta gronovii compared with Vulpes vulpes

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Dodder	Red Fox
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)	Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order	Solanales (ナス目)	Carnivora (ネコ目)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Cuscuta	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Cuscuta gronovii	Vulpes vulpes

Conservation Status

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Dodder	Red Fox
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	70 cm
Average Weight	—	6.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

Red Fox

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, Israel), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina).

Common Dodder

<em>Cuscuta gronovii</em>, the common dodder, is a parasitic annual vine in the family Convolvulaceae. This species is distributed across eleven European countries as well as the United States, where it typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments including wetland margins, roadsides, thickets, and disturbed vegetation. Unlike most plants, <em>Cuscuta gronovii</em> lacks chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on host plants for water and nutrients, which it extracts through specialized structures called haustoria. The common dodder typically has slender, twining orange or yellowish stems and produces small, clustered white or pale pink flowers in late summer. It often parasitizes a broad range of host species, including many herbaceous and shrubby plants. Once attached to a host, it typically sheds its connection to the soil and relies entirely on the host for sustenance. The species is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its wide distribution and ability to colonize disturbed habitats. Its parasitic life history makes it ecologically notable among flowering plants.

Red Fox

アカギツネ（Vulpes vulpes）は地球上で最も広く分布する野生肉食動物であり、北半球全域とオーストラリアの移入地域において北極ツンドラから都市環境まで多様な生息地に適応している。赤みがかった茶色の毛皮、白い腹部、ふさふさした尾で識別できる。高度に適応した雑食性で、ウサギやハタネズミから果物、生ゴミまであらゆるものを食べる。40種類以上の独特な発声でコミュニケーションをとる。