Phylogenetic relationshipsĬomparative illustration of skulls of a true fox (left) and gray fox (right), with differing temporal ridges and subangular lobes indicated A group of foxes is referred to as a skulk, leash, or earth. northern English "fox" versus southern English "vox"). Vixen is one of very few words in modern English that retain the Middle English southern dialect "v" pronunciation instead of "f" (i.e. Male foxes are known as dogs, tods or reynards, females as vixens, and young as cubs, pups, or kits, though the last name is not to be confused with a distinct species called kit foxes. This in turn derives from Proto-Indo-European * puḱ-, meaning 'thick-haired tail'. The word fox comes from Old English, which derived from Proto-Germanic * fuhsaz. The hunting of foxes with packs of hounds, long an established pursuit in Europe, especially in the British Isles, was exported by European settlers to various parts of the New World. The global distribution of foxes, together with their widespread reputation for cunning, has contributed to their prominence in popular culture and folklore in many societies around the world. The most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes) with about 47 recognized subspecies. įoxes live on every continent except Antarctica. Approximately another 25 current or extinct species are always or sometimes called foxes these foxes are either part of the paraphyletic group of the South American foxes, or of the outlying group, which consists of the bat-eared fox, gray fox, and island fox. Twelve species belong to the monophyletic "true fox" group of genus Vulpes. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail ("brush"). FoxesĪ red fox in Algonquin Provincial Park, OntarioĬladistically included but traditionally excluded taxaįoxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. For other uses, see Foxes (disambiguation), Vixen (disambiguation), and Skulk (disambiguation). "Foxes", "Vixen", and "Skulk" redirect here.
0 kommentar(er)
