By: Jaymee Clemens & LeAndra Greenwell RED FOX By: Jaymee Clemens & LeAndra Greenwell

Red Foxes Live…

Life Cycle In winter, foxes meet to mate. The vixen (female) typically gives birth to a litter of 2 to 12 pups. At birth, red foxes are actually brown or gray. A new red coat usually grows in by the end of the first month, but some red foxes are golden, reddish-brown, silver, or even black. Both parents care for their young through the summer before they are able to strike out on their own in the fall.

Physical Characteristics The red fox, has large ears and long, bushy tail. The red fox has black lower legs and feet, sharp curved claws on feet. The red fox has rusty, reddish fur with a white chin, throat, and belly. Red foxes can stand as tall as 16” and be about 3 ½ feet long.

Habitat Red foxes live in many different types of habitats including: forests, grasslands, mountains and deserts.

They can adapt to human environments including: farms, suburban areas and even large communities.

Protection The most significant predators on red foxes are humans, who hunt foxes for their fur. Other predators include wolves and coyotes.

Taking care of Pups After mating, foxes will make a maternity den for raising young. The den is usually chosen at a place where there is raised ground so the foxes can see all around. When the pups are old enough to eat meat she will bring live prey to them, so they can learn how to kill. The red fox pups will leave the den when they are about 7 months old.

Diet Red foxes eat whatever is available. They are actually omnivores and eat many things besides meat. Their main food, however, is small mammals, including: mice, squirrels, rabbits and birds. Foxes will also eat grapes, acorns, cherries, berries and other vegetation.

Hunting Foxes hunt by stalking. They carefully get as close to the animal as possible, and then try to run it down. Red foxes also have excellent hearing. They can hear underground digging, gnawing, or rustling of small mammals. Once it has pinpointed the location of it’s prey, the fox will dig it up.

Red foxes hunt mostly at night, sunset and dawn. Red Foxes do not hibernate. They hunt year round and only den after mating. Females will often use the same maternity den for several years.

Interesting facts Red foxes are shy animals, so you will rarely see them. They are most active at night. The red fox lives alone until mating season. A red fox litter can have anywhere from one to ten pups.

Like a cat's, the fox's thick tail aids its balance, but it has other uses as well. A fox uses its tail (or "brush") as a warm cover in cold weather and as a signal flag to communicate with other foxes.

Foxes also signal each other by making scent posts—urinating on trees or rocks to announce their presence.