Red Fox

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

 

Facts about this animal

The red fox is a smaller canid with an elongated, slender body and relatively short legs. Head-body length ranges from 60-80 cm, height at shoulder from 35-40 cm and the tail from 35-45 cm. Males weigh about 5.5-7.5 kg, females are on an average about 10 % lighter. There is some variation in size depending of geographical location. Foxes in northern countries and in mountain ranges tend to be larger and heavier than foxes from warmer climatic zones.

 

Also the colour of the fur varies considerably and could be rusty, orange-red, reddish-brown, grey-brown or dark grey. Silver and platinum foxes are mutants which occasionally occur in the wild and have been systematically bred in fur farms. The tip of the tail is usually white, the inner side of the ears, throat and breast are mostly light grey or yellowish, the rear side of the ears, and the lower limbs are black. Occasionally also the belly may be black (in German called Kohlfuchs or Brandfuchs), and there could be a black cross on the shoulder ("cross fox"). The winter coat is very dense containing a lot of underwool. The summer coat is rather flat and lighter in colour.

 

The muzzle of the red fox is elongated. There are 42 teeth. The ears are triangular, upright and relatively large. The forelimbs have 5, the hind limbs 4 toes with blunt claws. On the upper side of the tail is the so-valled violet gland located, which is used for scent marking and contributes to the strong odor of the red fox.

 

Red foxes are predominantly nocturnal. During the day, they rest in grain fields, hedges, subterraneous dens they may share with badgers, drainige tubes etc. They may live solitary or in family groups, which may comprise several adults. The home range of an individual may vary from 0.2 km² in British cities and suburbs to 16 km² in the Canadian tundra.

 

Mating season in Central Europe last from December to February. After a gestation period of 51-53 days, the female gives birth to usually 4-7 cubs with a birth weight of 80-120 g. The young are usually born in a subterraneous den. The youngsters open their eyes at about 2 weeks, begin eating solid food at 3-4 weeks, are successively weaned as from the 5th week, start independently searching for food at 3-4 months, and usually disperse at 9-12 months.

 

The daily amount of food required by an adult fox is in the order of 300-600 g. The red fox is an opportunistic hunter, predating e.g. on hares, rodents, mice, voles, occasionally marmots or ground suirrels, birds, including pheasants, partridges, waterfowl and domestic fowl, reptiles, amphibians, earth worms and insects and scavenger. It also takes birds' eggs and fruit.

 

 

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 82 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

 

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Photo Copyright by
Malene Thyssen