Morphology of the nine tailed fox

Question

Needs ideas for the reason for the different sizes for ninetailed foxes i Made up.

. The Korean kumiho is sexual dimorphic as the males are big as a coyote while the vixens are as big as a red fox, this species has adapted to a pack-hunting lifestyle but need a reason why.

. A siamese cat-sized species that climbs trees like the gray fox or the raccoon dog with sharp hooked claws but again need a reason why.

. And the others remain as big as red foxes.

Anyways need ideas on why these foxes are like this through evolution?

Answer 1

I think you are over-thinking this. There is no need for a complicated reason, it would have happened simply because there was a niche and they moved into it. Perhaps the tree climbers live on fruit and were able to get to it better than other animals. Similarly the pack hunters evolved to hunt similar prey to wolves for a similar reason.

Over time they would get better at doing the thing they were most successful at, this would be especially true if there were no competing species.

So for example lets say your basic 9tf was able to climb, but not well, and pack hunt but not well. A disease wipes out the squirrel species in the area, leaving that space open. At the same time some 9tf find that pack hunting is a very efficient way to get calories.

Various species would start following those two paths, with one growing lighter and better at climbing while the other grows stronger and better at hunting.