ANIMAL: Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Type of Animal: Canine Habitat: Rural areas, suburbs, urban areas, forests, grasslands, mountains, desert, sand dunes, parks, woodlands, wetlands, brushy fields, tundra, prairie, savanna, chaparral, scrub forest, edge habitat, scrub Location(s): Found throughout Europe, much of Asia excluding S. India, Thailand, Cambodia, S. Burma, Taiwan, Indonesia, S. Vietnam, Malaysia & Phillipines, Canada, Pacific N.W, Great Plains states of Nebraska, Kansas & Dakotas, Alaska, E. & Mid-W. U.S, corridor between W. Egypt, E. Libya & N. Sudan, Extreme N.W. Africa, much of Middle/Near East except Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman & Gulf States. Introduced into much of Australia. Appearance: Come in several different color morphs, mostly red, some grey, some silver, some platinum, some blackish-brown. Cross Foxes dark brown/dark grey. Somewhat pointy ears w/ black nose, bushy tail w/ white end. Food/Diet: Fruit, berries, grasses, rabbits, hares, pikas, rodents (including beavers & porcupines), crickets, caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, crayfish, birds, raccoons, opossums, echinoderms, refuse, carrion, tubers, sedges, acorns, grapes, spiders, fish, weasels, mink, martens, otters, bettongs, wallabies, kangaroo joeys, koalas, possums, bandicoots, numbats, quokkas, wombats, echidnas, armadillos, lambs, small goats, snakes, scorpions, amphibians, lizards, turtles, tortoises, eggs, crabs, worms, mollusks, hedgehogs, veggies, insect larvae, flies, domestic piglets, wild piglets, pet food, grains, crocodilian hatchlings, bobcat kittens, genets. Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding from zoos & private breeders. Somewhat common in pet trade, Reds along w/ Silvers very common in fur trade. Lifestyle: Solitary, male-female pairs, or family groups consisting of a male, 1-8 females (often only alpha female successfully breeds-other females related to alpha female-most often sisters & daughters) & 1-3 litters of pups/kits. Kits/pups from 3rd litter that stay almost always female. Males disperse before females. Siblings sometimes live together after leaving family group. Additional Info: Called: Male-Dog Female-Vixen Young-Kit Group-Skulk Weight: Male- 9-17.6 lbs Female- 9-13.2 lbs Young- 0.9 lbs Gestation: 1.5-2 months Height: 1.16-1.3 ft Body Length: Male- 2.1-2.3 ft Female- 2-2.2 ft Life Span: 5 years in wild, up to 15 years in captivity Tail Length: Male- 9-11.4 in Female- 8.52-9.96 in Main predators are bears, tigers, crocodilians, snow leopards, leopards, wolves, pumas/cougars/mountain lions, eagles, large owls, coyotes, jackals, lynxes, bobcats, dingoes, hyenas & caracals. Hawks, smaller owls, skunks, mink, weasels, snakes, badgers, & wolverines prey on kits. Very territorial & invaders are sometimes killed in vicious fights. Most common canine species in world. Sometimes killed as poultry pests & for sport. Fun Fact(s): Some people keep them as pets & find them quite tameable. They’re rather shy in some areas & friendly where used to people. They’re only aggressive if rabid. Produce very musky odor to mark territory.
