I find it really annoying when I see these terms being used as separate, because they really are not.
Vulpine is a term made up to act as either a fox equivalent of the word Canine or to simply be more specific.
Vulpine would refer to the genus "Vulpes" which is the "category" that includes what is often referred to as the "true foxes". These are as follows:
- Begal fox (Vulpes bengalensis)
- Blanford's fox (Vulpes cana)
- Cape fox (Vulpes chama)
- Corsac fox (Vulpes corsac)
- Fennec fox (Vulpes zerda)
- Kit fox (Vulpes macrotis)
- Pale fox (Vulpes pallida)
- Rüppell's fox (Vulpes ruppelli)
- Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
- Swift fox (Vulpes velox)
- and the Tibetan sand fox (Vulpes ferrilata)
Sometimes the Arctic Fox
(Alopex Lagopus / Vulpes Lagopus) is also included in this list (as there is genetic evidence that places is with these other foxes, but due to historical reasons it has been known for very long as the Alopex lagopus rather than Vulpes lagopus.
Now see, from my research and understanding, the term "Canine", as opposed to what seems to be the popular belief, does not refer to the "Canis" which is the genus of wolves
(Canis lupus) and domestic dogs
(Canis lupus familiaris) amongst a few others such as the coyote (
Canis latrans), but rather to the entire family "Canidae". The only living subfamily of Canidae is "Caninae" which includes all aforementiones species - both wolflike species and foxes.
This subfamily is divided into two "Tribes": Canini and Vulpini (another point where confusion can occur). Canini is essentially all wolflike species and Vulpini is the foxlike species.
In the Canini tribe, Canis is the dominant genus, housing wolves, dogs coyotes dingos etc..
Some other genuses in this tribe:
- Cuon (Dhole)
- Lycaon (African wild dog)
- Dusicyon (Falklands wolf)
- Lycalopex (Culpeo fox, south american gray fox, pampas fox, sechura fox and hoary fox)
- And Chrysocyon (Maned wolf)
The Vulpini tribe includes the Vulpes genus and all foxes minus the few ones in the Lycalopex genus mentioned above. The only other genuses is in this tribe is the Urocyon which includes the Gray fox
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus), Island fox
(Urocyon littoralis) and Cozumel fox
(undefined).
Now that was a ton of information, I know. My point is just.. Most foxes are indeed vulpines, but they are also canines so please stop treating them separately. Either you call them vulpines or you call them canines but please do not say they are not canines or separate wolves and foxes by calling wolves canines and foxes vulpines because
FOXES ARE STILL CANINES!