Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Usually live only 3 years in the wild.

Identification Small dog-like mammal Pointed face and ears Lightly built body and long fur The tail is one third of the length of the fox Males are slightly larger than females Foxes are larger the farther north they hunt

Range The Red Fox lives around the world in many diverse environments.

Habitat Red foxes live in diverse habitats around the world They have been known to live in forests, grasslands, mountains, prairies and deserts Native to every continent except Australia (it was introduced) the fox makes its home in most any environment

Diet Nocturnal omnivore Eats mostly fruits, berries, grasses, insects, birds, and small mammals Will store extra food in preparation for hard times

Mating Mates from January through March Courting foxes travel and hunt together for about three weeks The male fox expands his range to find more prey to support the female while she is carrying and caring for the kits

Den The female will make or adopt many dens in case one is disturbed Red fox may use rabbit burrows or badger sett They hunt from 4 to 8 km around the den When not breeding, the red fox does not use a den and sleeps on the ground wrapped in its tail

The Young Two months after mating the female gives birth to a litter of 1-10 kits The kits leave the den when they are about a month old and are fed by their mother until they are seven months old Foxes tend to live in social groups based on family ties

Predators Red fox have few predators because predators rarely eat other predators Large predatory birds or wolves may attack foxes Badgers have rarely been observed to attack foxes if in a dispute Humans sometime kill foxes

Voice Foxes are quiet outside the breeding season Newborn foxes make a yelping noise Adult foxes have a high pitched cry that sounds similar to a cat Sound plays an important role by helping locate other foxes and track a mate A recording of the red fox howl can be found: Mammals/Red%20Fox/RedFoxYell.wav Mammals/Red%20Fox/RedFoxYell.wav

Interesting Facts Not all Red foxes are actually red, there is a range of colors of the fox which can occur in the same litter Red fox and badgers have been known to share burrows with the badger as the ‘landlord’ that can evict the fox at any time A mother will giver her kits live prey to ‘play’ with. This helps develop valuable hunting skills

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