🐕 African wild dog vs Red fox 🦊
The African wild dog is a bit bigger than the red fox. The African wild dog weighs about 6 times as much as the red fox.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐕 African wild dog | 🦊 Red fox |
|---|---|---|
| Size The African wild dog is a bit bigger than the red fox. | 3.4 to 4.9 ft1.1 to 1.5 m1 | 3.6 ft1.1 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the red fox yet. | 34 mph55 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The African wild dog weighs about 6 times as much as the red fox. | 40 to 79 lb18 to 36 kg1 | 9 to 11 lb4.1 to 5 kg3 |
| Lives The African wild dog usually lives about 3 times as long as the red fox. | 10 to 11 years10 to 11 years1 | 3 to 4 years3 to 4 years4 |
| Eats The African wild dog eats meat; the red fox eats plants and animals. | mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra | mice, rabbits, birds, insects, fruit and berries |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa | most of the Northern Hemisphere, from forests and farms to city parks |
Which one? African wild dog or red fox
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the red fox yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about African wild dog vs Red fox
- The African wild dog: A long-legged, patchy-coated wild dog of the African savanna.
- The red fox: A red fox can hear a mouse squeaking under deep snow.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The African wild dog is a bit bigger than the red fox: 1 against 2.
- The African wild dog weighs about 6 times as much as the red fox. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 3 for the red fox.
- The African wild dog usually lives about 3 times as long as the red fox. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 4 for the red fox.
- The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra. The red fox eats mice, rabbits, birds, insects, fruit and berries.
- The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The red fox lives in most of the Northern Hemisphere, from forests and farms to city parks. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The African wild dog: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 5
- The red fox: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 6
Wow facts
🐕 African wild dog
- An African wild dog can run fast in a chase.
- Its coat is a patchwork of colors.
- It lives on the savanna and in open woodland.
🦊 Red fox
- A red fox has pupils shaped like slits, like a cat's.
- Red fox kits are born with brownish-gray fur, and the red coat comes later.
- Red foxes live in cities, forests, farms and even deserts.
Questions kids ask about African wild dog and Red fox
Which is bigger, African wild dog or red fox?
The African wild dog is a bit bigger than the red fox: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, African wild dog or red fox?
The African wild dog weighs about 6 times as much as the red fox. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 3 for the red fox.
Which lives longer, African wild dog or red fox?
The African wild dog usually lives about 3 times as long as the red fox. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 4 for the red fox.
What do African wild dog and red fox eat?
The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra. The red fox eats mice, rabbits, birds, insects, fruit and berries.
Where do African wild dog and red fox live?
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The red fox lives in most of the Northern Hemisphere, from forests and farms to city parks. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, African wild dog or red fox?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/african-wild-dog-vs-red-fox
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Lycaon pictus (African wild dog), checked 10 November 2026.
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service (The Clever Red Fox), checked 30 October 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.