Coastal Ragweed vs Red Fox

Ambrosia hispida compared with Vulpes vulpes

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Ragweed	Red Fox
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Asterales (菊目)	Carnivora (食肉目)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Ambrosia	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Ambrosia hispida	Vulpes vulpes

Conservation Status

Coastal Ragweed

LC — Least Concern

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Ragweed

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Cuba.

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).

Coastal Ragweed

Coastal ragweed (Ambrosia hispida) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to the coastal dunes, sandy beaches, and cays of Cuba, the Bahamas, and the wider Caribbean region. It grows in pioneer beach and dune vegetation, often forming spreading colonies that help stabilise loose coastal sands. Like other members of the genus Ambrosia, it bears inconspicuous greenish-white flowers arranged in racemes; male flower heads produce wind-dispersed pollen that can trigger allergic rhinitis in sensitive individuals. The deeply lobed, hispid leaves are adapted to reflect intense solar radiation and tolerate salt spray. Coastal ragweed plays an ecological role in early dune succession, binding sand and enabling other plant species to establish. The genus is widespread globally, with several Ambrosia species considered noxious weeds in agricultural settings, though Ambrosia hispida is restricted to its native Caribbean coastal range. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern, reflecting adequate population size across its Caribbean coastal distribution. Pressure from coastal development and tourism infrastructure poses a localised threat to dune communities it inhabits.

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。