Arctic fox vs Red Fox

Vulpes lagopus compared with Vulpes vulpes

Key Differences

• Arctic fox is Critically Endangered while Red Fox is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic fox	Red Fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum same	Chordata (脊索动物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class same	Mammalia (哺乳動物)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order same	Carnivora (食肉目)	Carnivora (食肉目)
Family same	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus same	Vulpes (Foxes)	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Vulpes lagopus	Vulpes vulpes

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic fox and Red Fox share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Vulpes. (Foxes)

Conservation Status

Arctic fox

CR — Critically Endangered

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic fox	Red Fox
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	70 cm
Average Weight	—	6.0 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.

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).

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.

Red Fox

赤狐（Vulpes vulpes）是地球上分布最广的野生肉食动物，在北半球及澳大利亚引入区域，从北极冻原到城市环境的各类栖息地均有分布。以锈红色皮毛、白色腹部和蓬松尾巴为特征。高度适应性强的杂食者，从兔子、田鼠到水果、人类垃圾无所不食。可用40余种不同的叫声进行交流。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden