The fox is a small to medium-sized mammal from the Canidae family, often known as the canine or dog family. Found everywhere in the world apart from Antarctica, foxes prefer forested areas, but sometimes they also explore grasslands, mountains, and deserts.
Foxes may be unique and famous, especially for being clever and cunning. But that doesn’t mean, when you consider the thousands of fascinating wildlife, foxes are so unique that you can’t find other animals like them.
This article walks you through some of the animals similar to fox while also pointing out their differences. You’ll also know where these fox-like creatures are found.
Some of the animals similar to fox include Jackals, Korean jindos, Finnish Spitzs, Coyotes, Dholes, Culpeos, Wolves, Mountain Lions, Common cats, Margays, Red pandas, Dingos, Bobcats.
But before that, let’s briefly get a clear picture of the foxes so you can identify the similarities.
Contents
About the Foxes
The red fox is the majority of the 12 fox species, and most of its members share its red/orange color morph. But the animals are not entirely reddish-orange, as they’re white on the bellies with brownish-black legs. All foxes have pointed snouts, and the ears are triangular like some dogs. They also have bushy tails and grow whiskers not only on their faces but also on their legs.
Rarely seen during the day, these cunning animals are active at night, either just roaming or looking for food. Talking about food, meat is the priority of foxes, and the animals have an excellent sense of smell and hearing and can run about 30 to 40 miles per hour, making them prolific hunters. That said, foxes won’t say no to blackberries and other fruits that cross their path.
On social behavior, foxes are primarily solitary, territorial animals and are only seen in pairs when mating or raising their young ones.
13 Different Animals Similar to Fox
1. Jackals
Jackals are medium-sized mammals native to Africa and Eurasia, with bushlands, mountains, and savannas as their preferred habitats. They belong to the Canidae family and are close relatives to foxes, coyotes, and wolves.
Like foxes, jackals have athletic bodies well-suited for running long distances while maintaining speeds similar to that of their cousins. And even though jackals have relatively long ears than foxes, they take the same upright and triangular shapes. Also, Both animals have long, bushy tails.
What’s more, although they’re social animals that live in pairs, jackals vigorously defend their territories from intruders, like foxes. Jackals also exhibit similar feeding behavior as the fox, as, although primarily hunters, they are opportunistic that devour any fruits they come across.
2. Korean Jindos
Korean Jindos are medium-sized indigenous dogs native to the Jindo Islands of South Korea. The jindo dogs are also popular in South Korean households as they make great pets. They are some of the natural treasures of the country.
Besides the color, Korean Jindos look like foxes due to their similar body shapes. The dogs are also intelligent, like foxes. And while the jindos are loyal to their owners when kept as pets, they’re still territorial in their own sense, guarding their turf against other invasive animals and strangers.
3. Finnish Spitzs
Finnish Spitzs are medium-sized dog species native to Finland. They are kept as pets for hunting, and are also the national dogs of the country.
Like foxes, these dogs are intelligent and always alert and lively, making them excellent hunters. They usually bark, pointing in the direction of the game to make it easy for the owner.
And although found at home, you can easily mistake Finnish Spitzs for foxes, thanks to their overall body shapes, including the upright, triangular ears. The dogs also exhibit fox-like territorial behaviors, protecting their owners.
4. Coyotes
Coyotes are small to medium-sized mammals native to North America. Coyotes range in open habitats, including deserts and grasslands.
Due to their lean, athletic bodies, bushy tails, and upright ears, these North American mammals look like foxes. Coyotes also show behavioral similarities to foxes, as they’re primarily carnivorous, although you can sometimes find fruits on their menu. They are also excellent hunters, like their cousins, and typically move alone and are rarely seen in pairs.
The most significant difference between the two animals is coyotes have brownish legs.
5. Dholes
Also called red fox or red dog, dholes are canids native to Southeast Asia and Central and South America, and their ranges span from mountainous areas to alpine meadows.
Thanks to their body types, dholes resemble foxes such that you can easily mistake them for their cousins, particularly the Arabian fox, due to its color. The animals are also excellent hunters and can kill prey way large than themselves.
To stand out, however, dholes are social animals that live in clans of about 40 individuals.
6. Culpeos
Culpeos are the second-largest members of the Canidae family and are more closely related to wolves and jackals. They prefer temperate rainforests, plateaus, and deserts, and their ranges span from the southern regions of Patagonia to Peru and Ecuador.
From a far distance, you’d call culpeo a fox, as its appearance resembles that of the red fox foxes due to convergent evolution.
Culpeos deservedly earn their nickname ‘Andean fox’ thanks to their body shapes and colors that resemble that of many foxes. Andean foxes also share some similar behaviors with foxes, as they lead solitary lives and only come together during the breeding season. They are also omnivores, like their look-alikes.
7. Wolves
Wolves are among the large members of the Canidae family and are endemic to North America and Eurasia, where they live in diverse habitats, including deserts, grasslands, woodlands, and tundra.
For the untrained eye, it’s easy to confuse wolves and foxes. Wolves have body types resembling foxes, including long, bushy tails and upright ears. Not only similar through appearance, but wolves also boost over 200 million receptors in their noses, plus an excellent sense of smell to locate prey as far as six miles away, like foxes.
However, if you’re keen, you’ll find wolves have broader snouts and are bigger than in foxes. They are also exclusively carnivores and hunt in packs, unlike their counterparts.
8. Mountain lions
Also called cougars, mountain lions are the second largest cats after tigers. Cougars are native to the Americas, and you’re most likely to find them in the deer-inhabited regions.
Mountain lions might come from the feline family but are similar to foxes in some respects. Although they have distinct body types, both animals have whiskers on their faces. They also exhibit similar behaviors, with both animals leading solitary lives.
What’s more, cougars and lions are efficient night hunters, thanks to their extremely sensitive whiskers. But, unlike foxes, mountain lions don’t have an appetite for plant-based foods.
9. Common cats
Domesticated cats are other feline animals similar to foxes.
Despite coming from different families, cats and foxes have several physical similarities. Both animals have upright ears, sharp, retractable claws, and whiskers on their face and also on their legs. Cats also exhibit some fox-like behaviors, as they’re active at night and can reach speeds of about 30 miles per hour.
10. Margays
Margay is a small feline that lives in South and Central America, inhabiting deciduous and evergreen forests.
Apart from their colors and size, margays look like foxes. They have thick fur, upright ears, and long tails. Physical similarities aside, the cats lead solitary lives like the foxes and spend most of their time sleeping on trees as they’re nocturnal. Also, Both animals share similar diets, although the cats are not as opportunistic as the foxes.
11. Red pandas
Related to raccoons, red pandas are small mammals that live in Southwestern China and the eastern Himalayas. They prefer climbing to high canopies of coniferous forests but come down steep slopes when looking for water.
Red pandas have long tails, and upright ears and their bodies are covered with red fur like some species of foxes. Also, these small mammals are solitary and defend their territories with the aggressiveness of foxes. They are also omnivorous, as although most of their food is bamboo leaves, they never miss a chance to feast on insects.
12. Dingos
Dingos are medium-sized mammals from the Canidae family, although their taxonomic classification is debatable. They live everywhere, in every habitat in Australia, apart from Tasmania.
Like with many dog species, you can mistake dingos for foxes, thanks to their athletic bodies and similar physical features such as upright, triangular ears and long tails.
What’s more, like, foxes, Dingos are omnivores with their diets consisting of rodents, rabbits, fruits, and other plant materials. They also exhibit nocturnal behaviors when living in warmer regions. Young male dingos tend to live alone, but adults are often seen in packs of about 10 individuals.
13. Bobcats
Also called red lynx, Bobcats are medium-sized felines endemic to North America. Their range spans from Canada to the United States to Mexico. Their bodies are covered with buff-brown fur with black and brown stripes or spots.
Apart from their upright ears, bobcats don’t have many physical characteristics to share with foxes. The felines, however, exhibit several behaviors that make them similar to foxes. They are primarily solitary animals and, although not nocturnal, prefer hunting in the evenings and early mornings when there’s little light.
Also, the small animals have excellent hearing and powerful senses of smell to qualify as prolific hunters. Additionally, bobcats are known to hunt and kill animals 10 times their size, such as pronghorns.
