Gray fox in the context of Congener (biology)

Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush").

Twelve species belong to the monophyletic "true fox" group of genus Vulpes. Another 25 current or extinct species are sometimes called foxes – they are part of the paraphyletic group of the South American foxes or an outlying group, which consists of the bat-eared fox, gray fox, and island fox.

The island fox (Urocyon littoralis) is a small fox species that is endemic to six of the eight Channel Islands of California. Evolved from their mainland gray fox (U. cinereoargenteus) recent and larger ancestor, they diversified into six distinct subspecies, each confined to a single island and exhibiting insular dwarfism. Island fox are generally docile, show little fear of humans, and are easily tamed. Island foxes played an important role in the spiritual lives of native Channel Islanders. They have been likely semi-domesticated as pets, used as pelts, or for other functions, like pest control. Genetic and archaeological evidence suggests that the foxes arrived on the islands over 7,000 years ago, likely assisted by early human populations.