|
|
 |
February
- Fantastic Mr Fox!
How will I know if I'm looking at a red
fox?
Red foxes
have become the most widespread dogs in the wild, and are often
included in folklore, with a reputation for being sly and cunning.
 |
|
Mr
Fox - a cunning disguise
|
Red
foxes are
between 50-90cm long with a tail of between 30-50cm. They stand
approximately 35-45cm tall (that's about the size of a very large
domestic cat, or a small dog) and weigh about 6-10kg.
Red foxes have reddish-brown fur, but this can vary in coloration
and can sometimes be black or silver. The long, bushy tail (brush)
is often tipped with white fur, and the backs of the ears are black,
as are part of the legs. They have slender muzzles, with white fur
on the top lip, and some individuals have black tear marks. Foxes
often have a white chest.
|
Fascinating
fox facts...
|
- Foxes
are the most widespread wild carnivore in the world, and
are not considered endangered.
- Roald
Dahl immortalised the fox in his children's book Fantastic
Mr Fox
- Foxes
love to play football. In fact, Leicester City football
club is made up entirely of foxes, which is why the club
is nicknamed "The Foxes"!
- If
you hear an unearthly scream between December and February,
it could be the mating call of a vixen. Or it could be a
ghost. You should probably check out both possibilities.
- Foxes
very rarely attack cats, but they will attack pet gerbils,
rabbits and chickens, given the chance. You should protect
your pets' hutches with chicken wire.
- Basil
Brush is one of the country's most famous foxes, having
carved a successful television career for himself.
|
Where
should I look for red foxes?
Red foxes are typically found in woodland and open country, but
their presence in urban areas is increasing.
What
do they like to eat?
Foxes
are opportunist feeders and eat insects, earthworms, fruit, berries,
wild birds, small mammals and scraps left by humans.
 |
| The
sly, red fox...? |
What
are their habits?
Red foxes are primarily active at dusk and night. They are solitary,
but they very occasionally group together in a pack or a family
group. These often consist of a pair - dog fox and vixen - and their
cubs. However, in areas where foxes are not persecuted and where
there is a plentiful supply of food, a family group may contain
several adults.
Foxes forage alone in different parts of their territory, which
may extend from 25 to 5,000 acres depending on the habitat. Territories
are marked by faeces and urine.
They give birth to four to seven cubs in a den (also called an earth),
after a gestation period of 51-53 days and the cubs are weaned after
seven to nine weeks. The number of cubs and the time of year in
which the vixen gives birth depends on food availability.
Foxy facts courtesy of BBC
Wildfacts
Cambridgeshire
Mammal Atlas - help us to track the mammals in our county
>>
Foxes are elusive creatures, but occasionally they do venture into
the city. Have you
ever seen a fox? Why not tell us about it, and we'll print
your foxy fables right here. >>
You
can find out more about Britain's mammals at BBC
Wildfacts or BBC
Life of Mammals or The
Mammal Society.
January
is... rat and vole month >>
December
is.... deer month >>
November is.... hedgehog month
>>
|
