RED FOX

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RED FOX

• By Jaymee Clemens
• LeAndra Greenwell

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Red Foxes Live
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Life Cycle

• In winter, foxes meet to mate. 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.

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Physical Characteristics

• The red fox, has large ears and long, bushy tail.
  The red fox has black lower legs and feet, sharp
  curved claws on feet.
• The red fox has rusty, reddish fur with a white
  chin, throat, and belly. Red foxes can stand as
  tall as 16 and be about 3 ½ feet long.

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Habitat

• Red foxes live in many different types of
  habitats including forests, grasslands,
  mountains and deserts.

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• They can adapt to human environments including
  farms, suburban areas and even large communities.
  

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Protection

• The most significant predators on red foxes are
  humans, who hunt foxes for their fur. Other
  predators include wolves and coyotes.

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Taking care of Pups

• After mating, foxes will make a maternity den for
  raising young. The den is usually chosen at a
  place where there is raised ground so the foxes
  can see all around.
• When the pups are old enough to eat meat she will
  bring live prey to them, so they can learn how to
  kill. The red fox pups will leave the den when
  they are about 7 months old.

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Diet

• Red foxes eat whatever is available. They are
  actually omnivores and eat many things besides
  meat.
• Their main food, however, is small mammals,
  including mice, squirrels, rabbits and birds.
• Foxes will also eat grapes, acorns, cherries,
  berries and other vegetation.

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Hunting

• Foxes hunt by stalking. They carefully get as
  close to the animal as possible, and then try to
  run it down.
• Red foxes also have excellent hearing. They can
  hear underground digging, gnawing, or rustling of
  small mammals. Once it has pinpointed the
  location of its prey, the fox will dig it up.

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• Red foxes hunt mostly at night, sunset and dawn.
  
• Red Foxes do not hibernate. They hunt year round
  and only den after mating. Females will often
  use the same maternity den for several years.

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Interesting facts

• Red foxes are shy animals, so you will rarely see
  them. They are most active at night.
• The red fox lives alone until mating season.
• A red fox litter can have anywhere from one to
  ten pups.

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• Like a cat's, the fox's thick tail aids its
  balance, but it has other uses as well. A fox
  uses its tail (or "brush") as a warm cover in
  cold weather and as a signal flag to communicate
  with other foxes.

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• Foxes also signal each other by making scent
  postsurinating on trees or rocks to announce
  their presence.