More fox photos and fox facts...

The Red Fox is about the size of a large cat.  In fact, although it is a member of the dog family, some of it’s habits are very cat like as well.  Appearance wise, it has a reddish coat with white underneath and a big bushy tail with normally a white tip.

Their incredible sense of hearing helps them locate prey through thick grass or even in underground burrows.  Foxes live in dens that they dig or borrow, often using the same den for several generations. Foxes are often assumed to be solitary, but the reality is rather more complex. They live as families, but hunt alone. Foxes are omnivorous and consume a wide variety of plant and animal prey. They hunt rodents using a pouncing technique practised from an early age. Foxes also gather a wide variety of other foods ranging from grasshoppers to fruit and berries.Their basic diet is small rodents but they also hunt rabbits, birds, and the occasional squirrel.  They will also eat earthworms and any carrion available.

 

Red foxes have been the subject of many tales, depicted as cunning and sly. They are particularly clever at making friends with cats and dogs, charming them to the point where they are allowed to share the same food dish.

In the wild, foxes can live for up to 10 years, but most foxes only live for 2 to 3 years due to hunting, road accidents and diseases.

Foxes stalk their prey just like cats.  Also like cats, they often play with their catch before they kill it.  If they aren’t hungry, they may even catch mice just to play with, then let them go when they are done.

A fox’s hearing is so sharp they can hear a watch ticking 40 yards away.