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Red fox or coyote?

Compare overall build, ears, face, and tail before deciding which canid you saw.

Last updated

Red fox at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo: Holly Keepers / USFWS · Public domain

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

VS
Coyote resting on snowy ground in winter sunlight.
Photo: Lori Iverson / USFWS · Public domain

Coyote

Canis latrans

Text-free illustrated comparison for “Red fox or coyote?”; the field marks are listed below.
Illustrated field comparisonRed fox or coyote?Coat color varies and distance distorts size. A coyote's gray or dull yellow can read warm in low light, and rare fox color phases occur, though all of them keep a white tail tip. Track patterns also shift with an animal's speed, so read several clean prints rather than one. Use build, tail, legs, and color together, then record uncertainty when the view is brief.

Build [1][2]

Usually low, slim, and relatively short-legged

Usually taller, lean, and long-legged

Tail [1][2]

Very full; often has a clear white tip

Less luxuriant; often dark-tipped and carried low

Face [1][2]

Fine muzzle with dark-backed ears

Longer muzzle with proportionally tall ears

Legs & feet [3][4]

Black legs and feet, like dark stockings against the red coat

Front legs whitish; outer hind legs reddish, inner sides whitish

Coat above [3][4]

Reddish yellow, slightly darker on the back; rare color phases keep a white tail tip

Light gray or dull yellow, with the outer hairs tipped black

Weight [4][5]

Small; published weights run about 7 to 15 pounds

Heavier, though agency figures vary by region, roughly 18 to 40 pounds

Front track [6]

Roughly 1.5 inches wide by 1.8 long

Roughly 2.25 inches wide by 2.5 long, clearly larger

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Source-checked editorial guide. Last updated .