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Foxes have been the topic of many a story for hundreds of years, from children’s fairy stories to tales of marauding beasts that attack chicken coops at night, leaving nothing but piles of feathers in their wake. But foxes are generally friendly creatures and have a strong curiosity. They like to play and are known to steal balls from backyards or gold courses because they love to play with them.
The fox is a wild animal though, despite the long history of interaction with humans. Remarkably, a grave dating back 16,500 years was unearthed in 2011, and the contents revealed the skeleton of a man and a fox, which was assumed to have been his pet.
But what do you really know about foxes? The most commonly known fox is the red fox, and you may be surprised to know that there are actually 37 species of the fox! But only a dozen of them belong to the ‘true fox’ family. Before we delve into the 10 interesting fox facts, let’s take a look at the different types of the fox.
Fox Types
The Red Fox
The Red Fox is the largest of the species, and are named as such because of the beautiful red color of their coat. This fox is generally found in wooded areas but occasionally will move into populated areas in search of food or if they have been driven out of their natural habitat.
The Red Fox can be found in numerous places around the world, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Gray Fox
Another large fox, the Gray is mainly gray in color with the occasional areas of black or white.
The Arctic Fox
This particular fox is a beautiful white color in the winter months, a factor that helps it camouflage among the snow. The Arctic Fox is found in the northernmost part of the hemisphere and has an incredible ability to tolerate extreme cold far better than just about any other animal. It can tolerate temperatures as low as -70 degrees Celsius.
When winter fades away, so does the white coloring of the fox, and its fur changes to either gray or brown so it can blend in with the uncovered rocks and dirt.
The Fennec Fox
Unlike most of the other foxes, the Fennec Fox is incredibly tiny. Despite its small size, the ears are very large, which gives the fox a slightly odd look about it. It also has a really long tail.
Believe it or not, this fox is about the size of a kitten! An inhabitant of the hot Sahara Desert, the Fennec fox sleeps during the daytime to avoid the heat.
The paws have fur covering them so the feet don’t burn in the hot sand.
The Kit Fox
With a slender body and a big head, the gray-colored Kit fox looks a bit different from the other foxes. The ears are rather large and the long black-tipped tail is bushy.
The Swift Fox
Another of the smaller foxes, the Swift Fox is perhaps the prettiest, with fur that is light brown with shades of orange. The body may have areas of black or white fur as well.
Interesting Fox Facts
Number 1
The fox is a member of the dog family. The male is called either a ‘tod’ or a ‘dog fox’, and the female is called a ‘vixen’. The baby foxes are called ‘kits’, ‘cubs’ or ‘pups’. If there is a group of foxes together, it is called a ‘leash’ or a ‘skulk’.
Although they can socialize together, foxes are not packed animals, and only associate with others while they are raising their young, like a family. Otherwise, the fox prefers to sleep, eat and hunt alone.
Number 2
Foxes are the only type of dog that has retractable claws like a cat. Even the pupils in the eyes of the fox resemble those of a cat, as they are vertical in shape, whereas other dogs have rounded pupils. The fox is more active at the night, and the shapes of the pupils help the fox see better when the light isn’t as good.
The hunting behavior of a fox is also like a cat, as it stalks its prey before pouncing on it. The whiskers on the fox are sensitive, and it walks on its toes, more characteristics that are similar to the cat. Surprisingly, some foxes will even climb a tree and sleep in it.
Number 3
The fox is the most global of all species of wild dog, reaching many areas of the world.
They can live in almost any environment, such as forests, grasslands, countryside, mountains cities, and of course, those that live in the hot desert or the arctic cold.
Number 4
When baby foxes are born, they are deaf, blind, and unable to walk. The mother fox has to take special care of the babies to protect them.
The role of the father fox is to hunt for food and bring it back for the mother and babies to eat. Learn more on the fox life cycle in this article.
Number 5
Foxes eat a wide variety of foods, such as small animals, berries, spiders, and worms. In the city environment, they will scavenge for food that has been left out in the trash.
If the fox finds an abundance of food, they will hide it and save it for later when they are hungry again.
Number 6
The fur of the fox is highly sought after by the fur industry, which angers and upsets a lot of people.
Some foxes are kept at factory farms, being kept alive purely for their fur. It is an incredibly sad industry.
Number 7
The Gray fox which is found in North America is the only species of dog that has the ability to climb a tree.
Number 8
Fox hunts, organized ‘sporting events’, sill take place despite the cruelty of it. Hunters set out on horses and use dogs to chase the fox until it is caught and killed.
Fox hunts are illegal in a number of countries, including Australia, Ireland, and North America.
Number 9
The home of the fox is called a den, and it is often a hole that is in the ground or beneath something such as a shed in city areas.
Number 10
A fox can show tremendous intelligence, adaptability, and caring when they are raising their young. In 2009, a fox cub was caught in a snare, and for two weeks, its mother came every day and provided food.
The cub was eventually rescued and was taken in by the RSPCA to tend to its injuries. Foxes have one litter of pups a year, but a litter can consist of between 1- 11 babies, with the average number produced is 6. The babies stay with their parents until they are 7 months old when they are then able to take care of themselves.
What are Foxes Afraid of?
The number one thing that foxes are afraid of is humans. Although they can eventually become accustomed to human interaction, generally the fox is very wary of humans and what they may do to them.
With a long history of foxes being hunted, perhaps this has created a fear that has been bred down through generations.
Scaring Foxes
If you have a fox coming into your yard and you want to remove it, there are a few methods you can use that will work well.
This is especially useful if you have chickens, or another food source the fox is keen to feast on. Here are the main ways to scare a fox away:
Noise-Making Device
You can use a device that makes noise to scare the fox. It doesn’t have to be a specialized, expensive piece of equipment. Something as simple as a transistor radio will produce a loud enough sound to be effective.
Another noisy device you could use is an alarm that is motion-sensitive. As soon as the alarm unit recognizes motion, the alarm will sound and scare off not only the fox but anything else that has ventured onto your property!
Sprinkler System
For a sprinkler system to be truly effective, you need one that is activated by motion or movement.
Otherwise, you would just be wasting water, and you couldn’t set it to go off at specific times because the fox is a cunning creature and he will just wait it out.
With a motion-activated sprinkler, the fox will trigger it off as soon as he is within reach of the motion sensor.
Making Other Loud Noises
If you see the fox, grab a large pot or pan and start banging on it with something. Even a wooden spoon will generate enough noise against the metal pot to scare the fox away. Also, yell loudly – the more noise the better.
Dog Repellents
In some hardware and garden stores, you can buy products that are designed to repel dogs, and these will work just as well with foxes.
Conclusion
The fox is a beautiful, intelligent, and wild creature, and there is a lot more to them than the fairy stories will tell.
They may be a nuisance or a pest in some cases, but overall, they are relatively harmless to humans and should just be left in the wilderness where they belong.
