Red Fox               

Introduction

Foxes are nocturnal and spend most of their time searching for food. During the day, they usually sleep out in the open and only use dens for breeding. In some areas, they are territorial about their hunting range and in other areas, they may overlap. Foxes scent mark by spraying urine and by rubbing bark. The smell of their urine is much stronger than that of a coyote or dog. The fox is adept at climbing trees, particularly if they are leaning or have branches near the ground. They can run about 26 miles per hour for short distances. They are not strictly nocturnal, but they are much more active then. They live 6-10 years in the wild.

Food Habits

Foxes eat fruit, insects, and small mammals such as voles, rabbits, and deer mice. They stalk and pounce. Occasionally, foxes cache their food by burying it. They may urine-mark an area where they have already hunted.

Family Life

Males and females are usually solitary except in December-March when breeding. They usually pair up but there have been occasions when a male joins more than one female. Once paired, they stay together and hunt cooperatively. Males may fight by standing on their hind legs nose to nose while snapping their jaws and screaming. Foxes can dig their own dens but will reuse dens. They may move their pups to other dens. Fox dens can be found in fields, rocky ledges, or brush piles near fields and water. The den is kept free of feces and food waste. The fox has one litter per year of 5-10 pups. Pups are born March-May, eyes closed and nursing. The mother stays with them constantly, grooming and cleaning them, and eats their waste. The male brings food to her. After the pups are about 14 days old, the female leaves the den for short periods to hunt and both parents bring food back to the pups. When pups are about f4 weeks old, they have vicious fights with each other and establish dominance. Only the dominant pups survive. After the pups are 6 weeks old, they may be split up into two dens. The adults take them out on hunting trips. At 10 weeks, pups venture out without their parents and by 6 months, they are fully grown and begin to disperse. Young foxes can breed at 10 months.

Winter Habits

The fox sleeps outdoors in winter, looking for sunny spots. An adult fox rarely retires to a den in winter. In the open, it curls into a ball, wrapping its bushy tail about its nose and foot pads, and at times may be completely blanketed with snow. They are most likely to bury food in winter.

Threats

The biggest threat to foxes, other than humans, is the coyote. They are also susceptible to rabies.

Benefits

Foxes help to maintain the balance of smaller animals.

Problems and Solutions

Foxes usually don't cause problems among human environments because they are extremely shy. They will prey on domestic cats and if you keep small farm animals, it is necessary to guard against fox intrusions. You can also use a repellent, such as coyote urine.

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