Cute Baby Fox Playing

The familiar fox that is most common in legend and lore is the red fox, but there are over 30 species of fox living in an amazing variety of environments all over the world. In general, foxes are small members of the dog family, the largest of which is the typical red fox.

Foxes live in small groups, or alone. They don't have the kind of intense social structure we connect with other canines like the wolf and the dog.

They are solitary hunters even if living in a family group, and they are notorious for killing extra prey and burying it for later. This activity is probably how the "sly" signature got attached to the fox, although, foxes, in general, are very bright, inquisitive and intelligent animals.

There are unusual names applied to male and female foxes as well, the male being known as a "reynard" and the female, naturally, a "vixen"