Vulpes vulpes
The red fox is an animal belonging to the same family as dogs, coyotes and wolves, and they are the most widely distributed member of the order Carnivora. They have a reputation for being very smart and cunning.
What do red fox look like? The largest of all fox species, they have a long, furry coat and a very bushy tail. Yes, they can be red, but some are also silver and others are black. Often they are red with black legs and feet, as was the one I saw. They all have a white tip on their tail, and they are three to four feet long. They look similar to grey fox but a big difference is, although both can be grey or red, red fox have a white tip on their tale, while grey fox have a black stripe down their tail.
Where do red fox live? They can be found from Alaska to Florida and pretty much everywhere in between, in several different biomes ranging from forest and wetlands to tundra and desert.
What do they eat? They are omnivores but do like meet including rodents, ground squirrels, hares, birds, eggs and berries.
What are baby red fox called? Kits
What does a red fox family look like? Moms and dads stay together for life. They often separate in the winters but come back together in early spring. Dens are built where the kits are born. There are four to seven kits born in each litter. The dad hunts while the mom stays with the kits when they are very young, then they trade off. Once they get older, both parents will go hunt, bringing back food for the kits. The kits stay in the den for about three months, then wander out of it but do stay near their parents all summer as they learn to hunt and fend for themselves. At the end of summer, the kits go their own way and form their own families the following year. Males travel farther away than females – females sometimes stay within mom’s range.
Are they nocturnal or diurnal? Mostly nocturnal, seen and dawn and dusk, but they do come out some during the daytime particularly in areas that are less populated by humans.
How long do they live? 3-5 years, longer in captivity
Are they endangered? No, they are of least concern according to the IUCN red list.
Sightings
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