Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

By Thomas F. (Bowdoinham Community School, Grade 4)

I chose to do a Fox because last year when I was in the car, I saw a fox in a cemetery. Was it eating something? It looked like fruit. When I came back there were two of them.

Well, foxes sometime look like dogs. The red fon is the most common fox species. They are dark eyed. The red fox has a sandy coat. They have long pointed ears. They're orange and red. They're sharp snouted. They have white tips on their tails. They also have a scent gland on their tail. They grow to be 27 inches long. They're the smallest of the dog family.

They don't hunt in packs. They're solitary predators. They defend other foxes. They live to be 14 years old. Some red foxes show clear adaptation. A fox has 4 toes on all 4 feet. They have a dew claw which is a non-moving thumb. The red fox can hear a mouse 100 feet away.

They live in Maine, South East Asia, Antarctica, Europe, Northern America. They have dens all over where they live. Dens have many rooms.

The red fox eats deer, dogs, foxes, snakes, mice, birds, frog, insects, rabbit, many fruit, small rodents, and invertebrates.

Mating occurs in December, February, March, and April. Thebabies or kits are born in a den in the earth. A young red fox is called a pup. The mother has 4 to 7 young. A new born fox weighs 4 ounces. They take turns feeding the young. They eat on their own in summer. It takes 51 days to have a baby. The male fox brings food to mother.

LINKS:

Fox, U. of Michigan Animal Diversity Web