I'm not an expert! I just like foxes a lot and have an interest in their color morphology.
Some of my classifications may be incorrect especially since some color mutations are impossible to distinguish without knowing the actual genetics of the fox.
I will admit that I don't have a good grasp on genetics and my strong suit lies with visual identification. I'm still learning and researching, hoping to improve!
Submissions: OPEN (if you want me to identify a fox for you please do send an ask!)
Found this cool photo online and was wondering what kind of color morph this is!
Ooh what a cutie! This appears to be a Smokey colored fox. They appear like red foxes with a more silver "Smokey" look! These are one of the few color morphs that can be found in nature and not just through selective breeding. They look pretty similar to cross foxes but they lack the distinct patterned markings of a cross fox.
I'll say I'm pretty rusty on this so take the additional info with a grain of salt but I can say almost 100% that's a Smokey Fox! 😅
I'm attaching my cheat sheet too:
Also sorry for the delayed response!
Disclaimer: I am not an expert!! I just like foxes and did some research into their color morphology.
Do you know what colour Waverly from SaveAFox is? I've always been curious, she's so pale for a marble
Ooh yes good question! For everyone's reference here's beautiful Waverly:
Okay, this one I'm actually split on, so here's my reasoning:
At first, I thought she was some sort of Marble Platinum because her colors are so faint. And I could really only see the silver. I was thinking either Pearl (Glacier Blue) or Silver Platinum.
But I looked closer and noticed some orangey tones! And the placement suggests that she could be some type of cross fox. You can really see it in this picture:
So, because of this, my first guess is that she's a pearl cross Platinum with a couple layers of dilution.
My second guess is that she is a Platinum Fire and Ice fox. This would explain why her colors are so diluted.
(Sorry, I don't have any pics of Platinum Fire and Ice foxes, but they would, in theory, look like a more diluted, lighter version of Whitemark Fire and Ice).
I'm honestly split on this but I'm leaning more towards Fire and Ice Platinum...
It can be pretty hard to make a distinction for foxes this diluted, as she could even be a Marble Platinum of either Pearl Cross or Fire and Ice, which would explain her lightness.
But yeah, I'll leave it here! Thanks for the question! It's been a while since I looked at fox color morphology, so apologies for being (very) rusty!
NOTE: I'm not an expert by any means! I just like foxes and got really into their color morphology. Take everything I say with a huge grain of salt.
Seeing some people openly react to the passing of Mikayla Raines (saveafox) like “yeah that sucks… anyway here’s why I think she was terrible!!” Is boiling my blood.
She has lost her life. A woman has lost her life. A daughter has lost her mother. A husband has lost his wife.
And your main priority and concern is to ensure that you’re above all and self righteous?
Just disgusting. Utterly disgusting. Shame on all of you. Here and on that vile snark subreddit.
It's just the fake activism. Like, you care so much about this supposed neglect or animal abuse, so you resort to make a snark of said person? Not, you know, call the authorities or even maybe perphaps do something to make a change?
Pointing how you THINK it should be done it's so much easier, and if something happens just renounce any accountability by saying that they were in the wrong, and putting any sort of blame in the person that died, again.
They never have actually known the hardships, stress and pain of running a rescue beyond what little idea they have in their minds.
Now it's too late and the damage is done.
Don't like the consequences and how it makes YOU feel? Literally turn off the internet and reevalute how you think and act.
Pearls Cross Platinum foxes have the coloration of a Pearl Cross fox but the color is much more diluted with more white content to their fur. They will also have the standard Platinum white markings.
Silver Cross foxes are very similar to Standard Cross foxes, still possessing the cross markings of a black face, ears, tail, legs, chest, and belly with the rest of their fur ranging from light yellowish, to dark orange, or reddish. However silver crosses have much more black fur present. Where the sides of a Standard Cross fox would be orange a Silver Cross fox will usually have black fur.
Georgian Whites foxes are mostly white with black ears and randomly distributed black spots on their feet, muzzle, face, and in a line down their back.
Identified by mostly white fur with a red crown shaped marking on the forehead. The crown can also present as a mask and cover the eyes. Red fur is also present on ears, eyes, and a stripe down the back.
What color morphs are these guys? Are they standard crosses (the closest I can find) with the black just being more prominent and a brighter orange, or a different kind? Apologies if you already have these kinds somewhere on your account I don't believe I've seen them xd
Yes, these are Standard Cross foxes! The brighter orange is very likely due to editing. Cross foxes can have bright orange markings, but that extremely bright color would likely never occur, unfortunately. Cross foxes with more silver fur present are also called Silver Crosses (Pictured below) but I don't believe either of the foxes you showed would qualify.
TLDR: they're Standard Cross foxes like the one below, but they were edited to look more vibrant.
Thanks for the question! Don’t be afraid to ask anything, I really don’t mind repeat questions :)
quick question; what are easy ways to distinguish grey foxes from red foxes with color morphs that make them look like grey foxes? im not well versed enough in color morphs to be able to tell from those alone, and although i know the other physical differences between red foxes and grey foxes i want to know what you usually do
Hi, thanks for the question! Grey foxes are pretty distinct from red foxes, but it can be tricky to tell them apart!
The main differences are in the face and body shape. Grey foxes have much more pinched features and big dark eyes. They have diamond-shaped faces and small snouts. They also have a very distinct ‘tear’ patterning on their muzzle and are more lithe and smaller in size than the red fox.
Additionally, their fur is shorter than that of red foxes, though this can be hard to tell because red foxes have summer coats that can be pretty short. Grey foxes fur is grey with orange and white markings in a very specific patter which can be seen in the pictures below.
The red fox color morph that I believe would be the easiest to confuse with a grey fox is the Pearl Cross pattern pictured below.
They have similar orange and grey colors to the grey fox, but while the grey fox has banded, ‘mottled'-looking fur with a sort of salt and pepper appearance, the Pearl Cross will have a more solid pearly coloring with Silver guard hairs.
Pearl Crosses will also not have the white markings that a grey fox does. And lack the tear markings.
Also, red foxes almost always have white-tipped tails while grey foxes do not, so that is an immediate give-away.
The other color morph that could possibly be confused with a grey fox is the Standard Cross.
However a Standard Cross colored red fox has black fur rather than the silver fur seen on a grey fox.
Again, the number one way to tell grey and red foxes apart is by the structure of their faces and bodies. Once you know the differences, it's pretty impossible to mix up a red and grey fox regardless of coloration.
Hopefully this helped and me know if theres anything else I can explain! :)
(evil question) What's your least favorite color morph for foxes?
Oh man, this is an interesting question!
If I genuinely had to pick, it’s a tie between Pastel, Colicott, Fawn Glow, and Amber. Not because I don't like how they look, I think they're beautiful, but because they are the ones i have the most trouble identifying. T^T
Under the cut are some pictures of these color morphs that sources have confirmed because I still don't trust myself 100% to identify these guys. Plus some information on how best to differentiate them!:
Pastel
Source - Source
Pastel foxes have dilute brown to very dark brown fur. Their underfur can be pale beige, blue-brown, or dark brown. Their eyes can be brown, yellow, green, or blue. However, it is relatively rare for their eyes to be blue and only present in very pale Pastels, so if their eyes are blue, it is usually an indicator that the fox is a Colicott. Their noses are brown.
Colicott
Source - Source: Beautiful Fur Animals - and their color genetics By SCIENTIFUR
Colicotts' shades can vary from very dark brown to lighter brown. They will always have blue eyes, and their noses can be brown or reddish-brown.
Amber
Source
Amber foxes are light brown but can vary in shade. Their eyes are green, greenish-yellow, or brown, but never blue.
Fawn Glow
Source
Fawn Glows look very similar to Ambers but usually have a bluer tinge to their fur. They always have blue eyes while Ambers do not, and that is the best way to tell them apart.
See what I mean when I say these guys are hard to differentiate? They are usually different in color, but it's never 100%, and lighting complicates things as well. This is why I don't often post brown color morphs because these ones can sometimes only be identified by genetics.
If someone were to submit a brown-colored morph, I would give it my best shot and use clues like eye and nose color to identify the color, but it is a welcome challenge!
Anyways thank you for the fun question! Keep em coming guys :)
