Red Fox

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Genus: Vulpes

Vulpes vulpes

Habitat & Distribution : forest, tundra, prairie, desert, mountains, farmlands, and urban areas; spread out in every continent except for South America and Antarctica

Diet : birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, non-insect arthropods,fruits and carrion

Size: 

• shoulder height: 35 - 50 cm

• body length: 30 - 55,5 cm

• body weight: 2,2 - 14 kg

Lifespan: 

• 3 - 12 years (in the wild)

• 12 - 15 years (in captivity)

Description

The red fox has a long body with short legs, and a long bushy tail. Its ears are triangular and very large, around 7,7 - 12,5 cm in height. It has a tapered snout and a small skull. The female's skull is usually smaller than the male's. It has long whiskers and retractable claws, much like a cat.

Its color morphs vary by region. However, it is commonly red on the upper side of its body and white on the lower/belly side and the tip of its tail, while its legs are black. Another common color morph is the partially melanistic "cross fox" with a brownish black face and a black cross on its slightly red body, usually found in northern Canada. The more melanistic "silver fox" in contrast, is almost completely black with white or silvery guard hairs.

Behavior

This fox is usually solitary and doesn't live in packs, but in small groups with their families called leash. Semi-territorial. A home range is usually inhabited by one male with one or two females and their kits.

It builds dens in the soil and create deeper, larger emergency burrows to protect themselves from extreme weather. The same nest can be used from generation to generation. 

Nocturnal or crepuscular, they're either active during the night, dawn or dusk. When hunting mice, it will stand unmoving, watching and listening for the mice it's targeted. Then, with a speed reaching 48 km/h, it can run and leap up to a height of 2 meter before pouncing on the prey, pinning it to the ground. Each fox eats about 0,5 - 1 kg of food every day. If there's a surplus, it can bury it in its den for safekeeping.

Reproduction

Usually monogamous, although in situations with abundant prey and high predation pressure, one male can mate with more than one female. The estrous lasts for about 1 - 6 days, copulation for around 15 - 20 minutes and implantation of the fertilized egg occurs 10 - 14 days after mating. Just before and after birthing, the female will stay in or around its den, while the male partner will provide her with food without entering. The gestation period / pregnancy lasts about 51 - 53 days and can produce a litter of 1 - 13 kits. These kits will stay in the den for about 4 - 5 weeks, where they will be cared and provided for by the mother, with the help of their elder sisters and/or brothers.

Communication & Perception

The red fox communicates with its fellow fox with vocalizations / sounds, gestures or body language and facial expressions, as well as through scent (scent marking).

There are 28 different vocalizations / sounds, ranging five octaves that the fox uses to communicate. The most common contact call is a three to five syllabic bark, that sounds a lot like wow-wow-wow. Adult foxes would huff roughly to call their kits. When interacting with other foxes, it can emit a loud shriek if its in a submissive/fearful position. Meanwhile female foxes (vixens) will call out a long, drawn-out "waaaaah" sound to attract males (todds) during mating season.

Its body language is reliant on the positioning and movement of its big ears and bushy tail to signify a more aggressive/dominant or fearful/submissive stance. Although there are postures that mix both.

It uses urine, feces, and secretions from its supracaudal gland, the gland around its mouth and under its foot pad to mark its territory with its scent.

Predator(s)

Eagles, coyotes, gray wolves, bears, mountain lions and humans

Conservation Status : Least Concern (IUCN Red List; 2021)