Both belong to the dog family, Canidae, but they have travelled down separate evolutionary lines, with differing morphology, social lives, communication, diet and habitats.
Here are the key comparisons between the true foxes – the 12 living species in the genus Vulpes – and the grey wolf, Canis lupus.
- What's the difference between foxes and dogs? Why foxes are much more than 'wild dogs'
- Wolf vs dog: what’s the difference between this deadly apex predator and man’s best friend?
- Can wolves and foxes interbreed?
What’s the difference between a fox and a wolf?
Foxes are much smaller than wolves
The most obvious difference is size. True foxes are generally small to medium-sized canids. The tiny fennec fox weighs just 1-1.5kg, while the larger red fox averages 5-7kg.
- This desert cutie is the smallest dog in the world - and also the dog with the biggest ears
- It might be called a fox and look like a fox, but don't be fooled as this is no fox...
Wolves are built on a much larger scale. The biggest wolf in the world is the grey wolf and adults measure about 1-1.6m from head to body and can stand up to 80cm at the shoulder. Their average body mass is about 40kg, though this varies widely between populations.
- What is the biggest wolf in the world? Meet the deadly canine apex predator - as well as its domestic rivals
- This prehistoric monster is the largest dog that ever lived and was able to crush bone with its deadly teeth – but was wiped out by cats
The two animals also look different in their proportions. True foxes tend to have slender bodies, long narrow muzzles, large pointed ears and bushy tails. Wolves are more powerfully built, with longer legs, a broad head, strong jaws and relatively shorter, less pointed ears.
Foxes and wolves live very different lives
Wolves are famous for their social lives. A wolf pack is usually a family group, centred on a mated pair and their offspring. Packs defend territories, communicate with howls, scent marks and body language, and often cooperate to hunt large prey.
- I spent 7 years tracking an elusive wolf pack through the snowy wilds of Canada. My encounters were mind-blowing
- Was this the largest, deadliest and most terrifying wolf of all time?
True foxes are generally less social. Many species are solitary or live as pairs for much of the year, though their social behaviour varies. Some foxes may form small family groups, especially where food is plentiful or population densities are high.
Wolves howl, foxes scream
Sound is another giveaway. Wolves are known for their long, deep howls, which help pack members keep in contact, gather before or after hunts, and communicate across large distances. They will also bark, whimper and growl.
- It may look like a wolf, but don't be fooled. DNA of Darwin's Falkland Islands wolf reveals a far stranger truth
- 10 rarest dogs in the world, many on the brink of extinction, from the beautiful Ethiopian wolf to the bizarre aquatic bush dog...
Foxes, meanwhile, are recognised by their distinctive “screams”: high-pitched, piercing calls that sound startlingly eerie on a dark night. These vocalisations are used in territorial encounters, mating behaviour and contact between individuals, but they lack the rolling, chorus-like quality of a wolf howl. Foxes bark and yelp, too.
Wolves are big-game hunters
Diet is another major difference. Wolves are carnivores and apex predators, especially adapted for tackling larger prey. Across much of their range, they feed on hoofed mammals such as deer, elk, moose, caribou and wild boar. They also eat smaller animals, carrion, livestock and, occasionally, plant material.
- Flying foxes: These extraordinary tropical flying mammals can travel 30km a night in search of food
- What is the biggest wolf in the world? Meet the deadly canine apex predator - as well as its domestic rivals
True foxes are more opportunistic. They eat a wide mix of food, including invertebrates, small vertebrates, fruit, grasses and other plant material. Their resourcefulness means that many will also scavenge, particularly in urban areas.
Foxes are more adaptable around people
True foxes occupy an impressive range of habitats, from deserts and mountains to Arctic regions, grasslands, farmland, woodland and urban areas. The red fox is especially widespread, occurring across much of the Northern Hemisphere and also in Australia, where it was introduced by humans.
- All you need to know about the beautiful Arctic fox - including how it survives the harsh Arctic conditions
- Meet the beautiful Arctic wolf, guardian of the frozen wilderness
Wolves also have a huge natural range across Eurasia and North America, and can live in forests, tundra, grasslands, wetlands, deserts and mountains. However, human persecution has greatly reduced their historical range. In modern times, wolves are more often associated with remote or wilderness areas, though their recovery in parts of Europe and North America has brought them back into closer contact with people.
- How wolves were driven to extinction in Britain - and why their return would help heal the landscape
The quick answer
A fox is not a small wolf. True foxes are smaller, lighter, and usually more solitary, with a more varied diet and a remarkable ability to live alongside people. Wolves are larger, more social and more specialised for cooperative hunting, with bodies built for travelling long distances and bringing down large prey.
They share a family tree – but they have evolved into very different branches of it.
