Information about Foxes

foxes vulpes information about

Foxes are omnivorous mammals belonging to the family Canidae. In comparison to a domestic dog, they are smaller in size, have a flattened skull and triangular ears. Their snout is slightly elongated and upturned and their tail is long and bushy. In the Canidae family there are several genera, however in the Volpes genus, that of ‘true foxes’, there are twelve species currently known. Another 25 current or extinct species exist in the other genera, contributing to the global distribution of foxes. They live on every continent except Antarctica, although small foxes known as Arctic foxes do exist, but they are native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

foxes vulpes information about

Description and distribution

Foxes are a smaller member of the Canidae family, being outsized by wolves and jackals, with the largest specie being the red fox, which weighs between 4.1 and 8.7 kg in an adult male. The smallest specie would be the fennec fox, at just 0.7 to 1.6 kg.
No matter the size, foxes do keep their typical features, such as their pointed ears, triangular face and retractable claws. Foxes do differ in colour, length and density of their fur, depending on the area where they can be found. The colour of their fur differs from pearly white to bright red, and all the way to black and the size of the fur differs as well. The species adapted to living in the dessert have larger ears and shorter fur, to help keep them cool, while those living in colder regions have smaller ears, with a thick insulating layer of fur. A fox’s colour and texture of the fur may change depending on the season as well, as their pelts are thicker in the colder season and lighter in the warmer period. Foxes usually moult once a year, usually in April, in order to get rid of the thicker part of their fur.
Foxes have slanted, reddish-brown eyes, thin lips and very sharp teeth which are useful when it comes to shearing tough materials. As such, foxes do not chew food, per se, but rather, cut it into manageable chunks. They have short legs and are digitigrade, walking on their toes. Unlike dogs and other canines, they have partially retractable claws. Foxes can also run up to 70km/h, speed which aids them when hunting.

When it comes to their distribution, foxes can be found all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica, with Europe, Asia, North America, Northern Africa, Northern Australia, being all areas that are populated by various species of foxes. Foxes generally live in the wild, in areas that are rich in vegetation, such as forests or grasslands, but you can also find them in mountains or deserts. They build narrow dens, with numerous entries and exits, in the ground, where they sleep, store food, and have and raise the younglings, which are known as cubs, pups, or kits. However, there are foxes that live in urban or sub-urban areas, building dens in gardens or green areas around the city. Not only do foxes adapt very well to human environments, but some species could actually be classified as so-called “resident urban carnivores”, due to the fact that they can sustain entire populations solely within urban boundaries. Interestingly, these foxes are also known to live longer than those in the wild.

Foxes are mostly nocturnal, this being the time when they usually hunt. Not all foxes are pack animals. In most cases, they live in small groups, but there are species that are known to be solitary (such as the arctic foxes). They communicate with each through sounds, which include yips, growls, and howls. The red fox alone is known to have 28 different sounds. Like humans, foxes can identify each other based on these sounds. They have excellent hearing, able to detect even low-frequency sounds.

Breeding and dietary information

Vixens are in heat for one to six days, making their reproductive cycle twelve months long. Foxes mate once a year, and after the egg is fertilised, the gestation period lasts around 52 – 53 days. Litter size is generally of 4 -5 pups, although this depends on the species and the environment. The arctic fox, for example, can have up to 11 younglings at once. Foxes are generally monogamous, having only one mate in life, and the male-female pair acts almost as a real couple; controlling an area of a couple of kilometres between the two of them, they care for their younglings, with the mother protecting them up close, while the father hunts and brings home food for the entire family.  Despite this, many cubs die when young, as they are preyed on by a variety of animals.
The younglings are born blind, their eyes opening completely only at around 2 weeks of age. Initially, they are blue-grey, several other weeks passing before they darken to the usual reddish-brown. Until they are around 1 month old, the younglings feed exclusively on their mother’s milk. Following this, the adults start to take them hunting. Around 3 months of age, the young foxes become capable of feeding themselves.

Foxes are omnivorous and highly opportunistic, eating anything and everything, from birds such as chicken, duck, turkey, geese, all the way to rabbits, lambs, guinea pigs, actual piglets, and even kittens, puppies, and small dogs. They also eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. The majority of their diet, however, is made out of invertebrates (such as insects) and small vertebrates (such as reptiles and small birds). Some are generalist predators, while others have specialised diets (like the crab-eating fox). All foxes hunt by pouncing onto the prey and biting onto its neck, shaking it until it is dead or ready to be disembowelled.
In the case of specimens that live close to urban or suburban centres, foxes will also forage through garbage if they find it smells particularly appetising.
Most species can consume around 1kg of food per day. If they catch more than they can eat, it is not unusual for them to bury it for later, under leaves, snow, or soil. However, it is all too often that other carnivores find these remains, eating them before the foxes get a chance to return to them.

Foxes as pests

While several species are considered endangered, the red fox is the most widespread globally, and is also the one that is prone to be considered a pest. Due to their opportunistic hunting style, foxes are commonly resented and considered as nuisance animals. On the other hand, although often considered pests themselves, foxes have been successfully employed to control pests on fruit farms while leaving the fruit intact.
However, the red fox, which is the one most often found inhabiting urban and human-populated areas, is the one doing the most damage. It can easily adapt to the urban environment and take advantage of man-made features around the house or garden, in order to create dens. They can also be easily sustained by food thrown away by humans, so red foxes can thrive around a household. Some people accept having foxes around their property, considering them a method of control for other pests, while others consider the foxes a nuisance themselves, due to the damage they can cause.

Due to the fact that they are highly adaptive, it’s quite difficult to get rid of foxes, once they have established their home on your property, especially if they have a constant source of food such as poultry or small livestock. Having them around your house can prove to be very unsanitary, as foxes are well known carriers of diseases such as rabies, sarcoptic mange, distemper, as well as the parasites such as ticks and fleas. Also, having them rummaging through your garbage and marking the property with their urine and faecal matter, does not help in keeping a sanitary environment.
The diseases foxes carry can be easily transmitted through bites, or even indirectly, through infested poultry. This is why in some countries the hunting of foxes has been developed as a measure of control, but also as a recreational activity. Excessive hunting has taken place in some countries, especially because of the popularity of their pelts and the trading industry that has developed based on them. Some of the currently endangered species have reached this level due to the excessive hunting and to the habitat loss which occurs with the expansion of human habitats, affecting thus the natural environment where the foxes live.

Foxes can prove to be useful around the house, but can also become a real nuisance if not properly contained. Depending on the area you live in and the situation that occurs, you often might like to prevent an infestation with these critters, as they can heavily affect the livestock and poultry you are raising. For more details on ways to ‘Prevent fox infestation’, you can visit our related article, and should you already be dealing with such an issue and do not know how to get rid of them, try to apply the methods presented in our ‘How to get rid of fox infestation’ article.

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