Sierra Nevada Red Fox Facts | Yosemite Wildlife Guide
The taxonomy of North American red foxes is a tangled web. Most populations across the continent descended from imported European red foxes, which interbred with native subspecies and then expanded to other areas. In the western mountain states, there are also three separate high-elevation subspecies.
While they can range from deep red in color, to grizzled grey or an extremely light yellow, there are a few characteristics that can help identify red foxes regardless of their color phase. Look for the black “socks” on their legs, white cheek patches and a white tip on the end of their bushy tail. The nose is more pointed than that of a coyote, and they are significantly smaller, only weighing 8 to 15 pounds.