A Common Question About the Fox

[Lady_Alizarin]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but I had to post it somewhere.

Lately in FeralHeart, some people around me have been asking me or some of my friends if the fox is really a canine or something else. Some people have told me that it is more realted to the cat instead of the dog. When I was in my fox RP, some warrior cats were around us and a random wolf came up and said "Why do you cats and foxes even fight? Don't you know that you are both related to each other?" Then the whole thing turned into a big argument on what family the fox belonged to.
If you are wondering the same thing, I do have an answer all based on research.

Fox
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Vulpes
Species: V. Vulpes

*Compared to other canines

Grey Wolf
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata  
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: Canis lupus

Coyote
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: Canis latrans


The fox is infact a member of the CANINE family. The only thing that makes it different from other canines is their genus and species. It has the body type of a canine, can bark, howl, yip, and act like other canines do. Nevertheless, it has a few different characteristics and behaviors. Some of thier behavior is very cat-like (pouncing, playing, and cat-like energy), which may be the reason why some people may question what their family is. Just because it acts different from other members in the canine family, does not mean it is not a canine.

Let me put it to you this way..... Foxes are different from dogs like rats are different from squirrels. We all know that rats and squirrels both belong to the rodent family, even though they both live different lifestyles and have very different behaviors. It's the same thing with lemurs and monkeys; they both belong to the primate family, but have differences in physical apperance and in their gene pools.

I hope this answers your question and clears things up if you were wondering.

[CreamWolf]

Murr, this will hopefully make some people be compelled to investigate more about the fox. This should be good, thanks for taking the time of putting it up. c:

[shusuke]

...That's just...a total fail. Like, really. People need to do research before going around and saying stuff.

[Kyugima]

Cheetahs, unlike other felines, are unable to sheathe their claws. Foxes are able to sheathe and sheathe their claws unlike other canines. As far as I remember at least.

[CreamWolf]

Yes, that is true - they can do this as well. Also, before anyone claims hyenas are felines, they aren't. They simply share some traits, which makes them closer to cats than dogs.

[Raz.]

oh god wat.

HOW do people even MAKE that connection? They don't even look remotely feline (sans the tail).

I think Hyenas are in a class of their own, they're neither canine or feline. I think it's Hyenadae or something.

[CreamWolf]

x3 Mhm. I was pointing that out, from this picture that Shusuke posted.

[Lady_Alizarin]

Cheetahs, unlike other felines, are unable to sheathe their claws. Foxes are able to sheathe and sheathe their claws unlike other canines. As far as I remember at least.

I know for a fact that grey foxes can use their claws to climb up trees, I don't know if they can retract them. If other foxes can do that too, then I did not know they could.  I'm not really an expert on foxes at all, I just like to do some research on animals.

[shusuke]

x3 Mhm. I was pointing that out, from this picture that Shusuke posted.

Maybe I should, like, circle the Felidae/Hyaenidae in green or something so that people won't go "OMG THEY'RE BOTH FELIFORMIA THEY IZ SAME SPECIES"

Yeah...I think I'll go back and do that.

[Raphilion]

Alizarin, for taking the time to do that research and posting this up here, chu deserve a Nuzzle. XD

Of course, I never doubted that foxes do not belong to the same family as a lion. Look at their tail, their facial features, their sounds, their spoors etc... Nowhere near a feline.
But for those that think otherwise, I'm sure they should find this post very useful.