Meet The Cross Fox: Nature’s Most Gorgeous Creature
Cross foxes are abundant in North America, yet that doesn’t change the fact that they are an absolutely breathtaking animal.
A “melanistic variant” of the red fox, the cross fox has an orange coat mixed with dark stripes. The stripes will often run down their back in beautiful patterns, and intersect across their shoulders.
They make up about 30% of the Canadian red fox population, and photographers always consider themselves lucky to photograph these gorgeous creatures.
What Is A Cross Fox Anyway?
For a long time, scientists thought this fox was a species of its own. Later on, they realized that they were a red fox, with a genetic mutation. The partial melanin colour variation is also known as a “colour morph”.
This gorgeous fox is created when a red fox morph mates with a silver fox morph. Sometimes even two silver foxes can also produce one too. They do, however, fall under the red fox species, and do not yet have their own species. Speaking of species of foxes, have you ever seen the terrifying Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox??
Where Do Cross Foxes Live?
Cross foxes live mostly in Canada, but also in the broader region of North America. Around 30% of red fox populations have the mutation that makes them a cross fox. There used to be cross foxes in northern United States, such as in Utah. However, the fur trade wiped out their populations.
They’ve also been spotted rarely in parts of Europe such as Scandinavia and Finland.
Are They Rare?
Cross foxes are not really all that rare. They’re more common, however, than a silver fox variant. Because they make up for around 25% of all red fox variations in North America, they’re not considered super rare.
However, because of their fur, they are sought after by trappers and fur farms. In other words, they’re not rare right now. But if the awful humans who trap them and hunt them for their fur continue to do so, they will become increasingly rare.
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