Red Fox

Vulpes Vulpes

Description:

The red fox has an elongated body and relatively short limbs. The tail, which is longer than half the body length. The forepaws have five digits, while the hind feet have only four and lack dewclaws. They are very agile, being capable of jumping over 2-metre (6 ft 7 in) high fences and swim well.Red foxes are the largest species of the genus Vulpes. They trot at a speed of 6–13 km/h, and have a maximum running speed of 50 km/h. They have a stride of 25–35 cm (9.8–14 in) when walking at a normal pace.North American red foxes are generally lightly built, with comparatively long bodies for their mass. British red foxes are heavily built, but short, while continental European red foxes are closer to the general average among red fox populations.The winter fur is dense, soft, silky and relatively long. In northern foxes, the fur is very long, dense and fluffy, but is shorter, sparser and coarser in southern forms. Among northern foxes, the North American varieties generally have the silkiest guard hairs, while most Eurasian red foxes have coarser fur. There are three main color morphs; red, silver/black and cross (see Mutations). In the typical red morph, their coats are generally bright reddish-rusty with yellowish tints. A stripe of weak, diffuse patterns of many brown-reddish-chestnut hairs occurs along the spine. Two additional stripes pass down the shoulder blades which, together with the spinal stripe, form a cross. Red foxes reproduce once a year in spring. The average litter size consists of four to six kits, though litters of up to 13 kits have occurred. Large litters are typical in areas where fox mortality is high.Kits are born blind, deaf and toothless, with dark brown fluffy fur. This species uses sexual reproduction. The Red Fox is not in a symbiotic relationship with anything. It is in a predator/prey with a raccoon and many more animals. Wolves may kill and eat red foxes in disputes over carcasses.In areas in North America where red fox and coyote populations are sympatric, fox ranges tend to be located outside of coyote territories. The principal cause of this separation is believed to be active avoidance of coyotes by the foxes. Interactions between the two species vary in nature, ranging from active antagonism to indifference. The majority of aggressive encounters are initiated by coyotes, and there are few reports of red foxes acting aggressively toward coyotes except when attacked or when their kits were approached. Foxes and coyotes have sometimes been seen feeding together. Red foxes have red fur so it makes it easier for them to hide in leaves. They have a nice thick coat of silky fur. That helps to keep them warm.

Habitat:

Red foxes are omnivores with a highly varied diet. In the former Soviet Union, up to 300 animal and a few dozen plant species are known to be consumed by them.They primarily feed on small, mouse-like rodents like voles, mice, ground squirrels, hamsters, gerbils,woodchucks, pocket gophers and deer mice. Secondary prey species include birds (with passeriformes, galliformes and waterfowl predominating), leporids, porcupines, raccoons, opossums, reptiles, insects, other invertebrates and flotsam (marine mammals, fish and echinoderms). On very rare occasions, they may attack young or small ungulates. They typically target mammals up to about 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) in weight, and require 500 grams (18 oz) of food daily. Red foxes readily eat plant material and in some areas, fruit can amount to 100% of their diet in autumn. Commonly consumed fruits include blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, persimmons, mulberries, apples, plums, grapes and acorns. In Eurasia, red foxes may be preyed upon by leopards, caracals and Eurasian lynxes. The lynxes chase red foxes into deep snow, where their longer legs and larger paws give them an advantage over foxes, especially when the depth of the snow exceeds one metre. In the Velikoluki district in Russia, red foxes are absent or are seen only occasionally where lynxes establish permanent territories. Researchers consider lynxes to represent considerably less danger to red foxes than wolves do. North American felid predators of red foxes include cougars, Canadian lynxes and bobcats.Occasionally, large raptors such as Eurasian eagle owls will prey on young foxes, while golden eagles have been known to kill adults. Red foxes are wide ranging animals, whose range covers nearly 70 million km2 (27 million mi2). They are distributed across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and Asia. They are absent in Iceland, the Arctic islands, some parts of Siberia, and in extreme deserts. They interact with their environment by helping with pest control and eating varmints and what not.