The Red Fox (vulpes vulpes) can be seen in many varying habitats, from northern forests, to grassy prairies, to city suburbs and urban areas. So keep your eyes out for one of these beautiful creatures in your neighborhood!
Although the Red Fox hunts for prey, its diet actually consists mostly of invertebrates, such as insects, earthworms and crayfish, as well as some plant material like blackberries and apples. Even though it is is very fast and agile (reaching speeds of up to 45 mph!), its eyesight is poor, so the Fox relies mostly on its acute sense of hearing to hunt.
Pairing up in the winter, male and female Red Foxes cooperate to raise a litter of 4-6 pups (also called kits) a year on average. They usually have multiple dens in their territory, one large one for winter living, birthing and rearing their young, and other smaller dens for emergency food storage. A series of tunnels often connects these to the main den.
Born blind the pups can weigh as much as a third of a pound, and can open their eyes at two weeks. After five weeks they take their first steps out of the den, and by 8 to 10 months they disperse to find their own territories.
To hear a Red Fox "yell", click here.
Source material from here. Photos by Glen Gaffney and Carolina K Smith MD.
