The red fox is best identified by its reddish coat, black legs and ears, and long, white-tipped, bushy tail. It has an long muzzle, pointed ears, and a white underside. Other colors that are uncommon but include silver, black, and a cross, always with a white-tipped tail and dark feet. The red fox is the largest of all the fox species in the world, standing about 16 inches tall and between 17 inches and 35 inches long and weighing up to 30 pounds. They must hunt to survive, and they rely on their keen sense of hearing to help them with this. They are able to hear the squeak of a mouse from 100 feet away. Among meat-eating animals, red foxes are the most widespread on Earth, according to National Geographic.

Red foxes prefer a mix of habitat such as edges with mixed scrub and woodlands. Old fields, pastures, brush land, farmland and other lightly-forested areas are often preferred. They adapt well to human environments including agricultural lands and urban areas. Red foxes can live in a variety of habitat areas. They typically sleep hidden away above ground, but they sometimes dig burrows or move into a burrow abandoned by another animal. They also create dens for raising their young, called kits. They have been found at most altitudes, from sea level up to 3000m (almost 10,000 ft) and in most terrestrial environments on Earth; their distribution and abundance is a result of the availability of food and suitable breeding sites. Red foxes are generally a species of, and do best in, mixed landscapes consisting of scrub, woodland and farmland.