The red fox or Vulpes Vulpes is a medium sized canine creature weighing about six to twenty four pounds and their length can be anywhere from thirty inches to fifty five inches. Males are typically larger than females. The red fox has an orange coat that can vary in brightness from a light orange to dark orange. According to the University of Minnesota Duluth, “Red foxes have white tail tips, throats, and underfur, while gray foxes have black tail tips and yellow or orange coloration on a white throat/underfur…A few red foxes are black or silver in coloration, which reflects normal genetic variation within the species”(https://www.nrri.umn.edu/carnivores-minnesota/species/redfox)Their tails are also bushy, similar to a coyote.
This image from University of Minnesota Duluth clearly shows the white chest, jaw, and white tip of the tail. (https://www.nrri.umn.edu/carnivores-minnesota/species/redfox)
They live two to five years in the wild and close to twenty years in captivity. Red foxes are omnivores and according to National Geographic, “Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game—but their diet can be as flexible as their home habitat. Foxes will eat fruit and vegetables, fish, frogs, and even worms. If living among humans, foxes will opportunistically dine on garbage and pet food” (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/r/red-fox/).
Fox fun fact: Foxes have amazing hearing. They can hear very low frequency noises. This allows them to hear rodents digging underground (https://www.nwf.org/educational-resources/wildlife-guide/mammals/red-fox) .
The red fox is native to north america and can be spotted in ohio, as well as its close relative the grey fox or Urocyon cinereoargenteus. The University of Minnesota Duluth states, “In North America, red fox can be found from the Arctic Circle to the southeastern United States, with more limited distribution in the western United States” (https://www.nrri.umn.edu/carnivores-minnesota/species/redfox)
Here is a map of the range of the red fox according to NatureWorks NH PBS (http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/redfox.htm)
The red fox territory can be anywhere between one to three square miles, however in prime hunting conditions the red fox may stay in a one mile radius. Even though the red fox is a solitary hunter, they still do communicate with one another using their tail, “as a signal flag to communicate with other foxes” and “Foxes also signal each other by making scent posts—urinating on trees or rocks to announce their presence” (ttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/r/red-fox/).
Fox fun fact: there is a debate about whether the north american fox is actually vulpes vulpes. Some scientists state that they should be a seperate species of vulpes fulva because some believe them to be different from old world foxes.
From late December to early march, red foxes begin to mate. According to National Geographic, “The vixen (female) typically gives birth to a litter of 2 to 12 pups. At birth, red foxes are actually brown or gray. A new red coat usually grows in by the end of the first month, but some red foxes are golden, reddish-brown, silver, or even black. Both parents care for their young through the summer before they are able to strike out on their own in the fall”(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/r/red-fox/).
Fox pups develop very quickly, reaching sexual maturity at 10 months old, and leaving their mothers care at 7-9 months. Their quick development does fit in however due to their relatively short life span of around two to five years.
The red fox is an extremely adaptable creature. Over the years of human expansion, the red fox has adapted being able to live very close to humans. The national wildlife federation states, “Red foxes have adapted well to suburban and rural communities. While other large predators have been pushed away from human development, red foxes took advantage of the changed habitat. They live in parks and woodland edges, and red foxes will readily eat whatever is available. Red foxes are solitary, so it is easy for them to hide and escape people” (https://www.nwf.org/educational-resources/wildlife-guide/mammals/red-fox)
However, due to the foxes adaptation to humans, this has allowed them to be hunted for sport. They are hunted for their fur due to its color and softness. They are also killed as they can be carriers of rabies, and some see them as pests. The red fox is not hunted extensively however, and their population is very stable. According to People's Trust for Endangered Species or PTES, “GB population 225,000 (rural); 33,000 (urban). There has been little change in the population over the last 10 years” (https://ptes.org/get-informed/facts-figures/red-fox/).
The red fox is a truly amazing creature, and one that has fascinated me for years. I have really enjoyed learning and researching them, and deepening my understanding of their place in our ecosystem.
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