Arctic fox vs Cat

Vulpes lagopus compared with Felis catus

Key Differences

• Arctic fox is Critically Endangered while Cat is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic fox	Cat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order same	Carnivora (carnívoros)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Vulpes (Foxes)	Felis (Small Cats)
Species	Vulpes lagopus	Felis catus

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic fox and Cat share a common ancestor at the Order level: Carnivora. (carnívoros)

Conservation Status

Arctic fox

CR — Critically Endangered

Cat

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic fox	Cat
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	46 cm
Average Weight	—	4.5 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cat

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (7 countries), Europe (11 countries), North America (13 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (11 countries), and South America (6 countries).

Arctic fox

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a species in the genus Vulpes. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Cat

O gato doméstico (Felis catus) é um carnívoro pequeno da família Felidae, amplamente mantido como animal de estimação e para controle de pragas. Originário do Oriente Médio, foi domesticado há cerca de 10.000 anos. Possui visão noturna excelente, audição aguçada e reflexos rápidos. Comunica-se por miar, ronronar e linguagem corporal. Caça instintivamente roedores e pássaros. Existem atualmente centenas de raças reconhecidas com diversas características físicas.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden