We're used to hearing about big wild dogs - jackals, coyotes, wolves - but there are some out there that are also very little.
A canid, from the Canidae family, includes dingoes, jackals, wolves, foxes and coyotes. Not forgetting of course the domestic dog. There are around 37 species of wild dog in the Canidae family and all of them use their sense of smell for just about everything. Around a third of the species of wild dogs are endangered or near threatened.
While some of these look like teeny cute cuddly doggies, don't be fooled: they are consummate hunters, trackers and predators, even if they do have gorgeous ears.
10 of the smallest wild dogs in the world
Bush dog
These remarkable-looking dogs often get mistaken for little bears. Found in the Amazon basin and other parts of South America, the sociable canids live in groups and hunt in packs. Bush dogs (Speothos venaticus) are small – around 30cm tall – but as a pack they work together to bring down prey. They have partially webbed feet and are great swimmers.
Grey fox
The grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), or gray fox depending on where you live, is common throughout North and Central America, although, due to deforestation and human habitation, the grey fox was once a lot more common than it is now.
In terms of size, the grey fox is usually between 76–112.5cm in length and weighs between 3.6–7kg. It can climb trees and has strong, hooked claws, which means it can escape predators with ease.
Fennec fox
By far the cutest and smallest fox on this list, the fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is native to the deserts of North Africa, and is remarkable because of its large ears.
Seemingly borrowed from a bat, the fennec fox's ears radiate heat and keep it cool – they can measure up to 15cm. Its head and body measure around 24-40cm, with an additional 18-30cm for the tail. It weighs in at around 1–1.5kg.
Arctic fox
Native to the Arctic regions, this small but mighty canid can withstand exceptionally cold temperatures, as low as -50°C. That's a lot to do with its lovely white coat, which also acts as a very helpful camouflage in the wintry terrain (and changes colour according to the season).
- All you need to know about the beautiful Arctic fox - including how it survives the harsh Arctic conditions
- Incredible grace and power of leaping Arctic fox hunting for prey revealed in beautiful slow-motion video
The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) has a head and body that measures around 45–68 cm and a tail of up to 34cm. Its body is rounded, to help stop body heat escaping. Despite this, many Arctic foxes don't survive past their first year of life.
Darwin's fox
Darwin's fox (Lycalopex fulvipes) is an endangered canid that is native to the rainforests of Chile. First identified by Charles Darwin on his voyage on HMS Beagle, this fox is between 1.8–3.9kg with a head and body length of 48–59 cm.
It is also known as the Chilote fox. It is one of the rarest mammals in the world, and the most endangered fox species. Despite its diminutive size, it is a top predator that feeds on small mammals, birds and amphibians, as well as fruits and insects.
Hoary fox
The hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus) feeds mostly on insects, such as dung beetles, termites and grasshoppers, and weighs around 3–4kg. This little canid's light weight and its short length – its body length is between 58–72 cm – means it is very fast and agile. It lives in the savanna and grasslands of Brazil.
Island fox
This small fox species is native to the Channel Islands of California. It weighs at about 1.8kg and is the size of a small domestic cat. It first arrived on the islands over 18,000 years ago. Omnivorous, the island fox (Urocyon littoralis) will happily eat small mammals, insects, fruit and plants. They are about 48-50cm long (head and body).
In the 1990s, island fox numbers started to decline rapidly on some of the islands. It was discovered that golden eagles had started to nest there because of a population of feral pigs, but the eagles also ate the island foxes. Conservation work took place to adjust the population of feral pigs and, as a result, the island fox was removed from the endangered species list in 2016.
Kit fox
The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) has been likened to the teeny, tiny fennec fox because it has similar large ears compared to the size of its body. These ears, like the fennec fox, are very helpful for hearing and regulating its heat.
It is one of the smallest Canidaes in the world, and lives in south-west North America and north and central Mexico. The kit fox's average body size is between 45–53cm, with a tail that is around 26–32cm.
Tibetan sand fox
Living on the grasslands of the Tibetan plateau, this small fox has a very strange head – square-shaped, with thick fur, strong jaw muscles and a flat face. It is thought that perhaps its face has evolved to be like this to help cope with the strong, cold winds that blow where it lives.
The first Tibetan sand fox (Vulpes ferrilata) sighting was reported in 2005. They generally measure between 60–70cm (not including its tail) and weigh around 5–5.5kg.
Swift fox
Another small canid about the size of a domestic cat, the swift fox (Vulpes velox) is found on the grasslands of North America, and is closely related to the kit fox (above). Once severely endangered, the swift fox was reintroduced in 1983 and has slowly increased in numbers ever since. As you might expect from its name, the swift fox is a fast runner, reaching speeds of over 50kph. It measures around 79cm long from the head to the tip of the tail and weighs around 2-3kg.
