The red fox Vulpes vulpes fulva is more common in this area, as it is highly urbanized and thrives in close contact with humans and other animals. It prefers farmland, wooded lots, and forests with marshes and open fields. Red foxes use dens only during breeding season and while raising cubs. Other times they will seek shelter during inclement weather, but will not have a permanent home site. Most dens are used year after year and new dens are usually holes made by other creatures that use ground dens.
Dens usually have more than one entrance, with well-disguised escape holes. Red foxes hunt alone and live as pairs or in small family groups. A family group may include a number of unmated females who help care for the young in the den while mother goes out to forage for food.
Red foxes can be beneficial to man because of their hunting activities. They will catch mice and other rodents as well as large bugs. Fruit, berries, insects, turtle and birds eggs, crabs, stranded fish, small mammals and reptiles are their main diet.
They usually do not eat their prey right away, but take it back to their den to eat or cache it. Excess food is buried for later use under piles of leaves, in snow banks, or under stacks of brush. The red fox weighs between pounds and measures 22 to 25 inches long excluding tail. It has a sharp nose, large triangular ears, and a bushy tail also called a brush. Its fur, which is long and full, is russet or red with white on the chin, breast and belly, and black feet and legs.
The tip of the tail is always white. Several color variations include the cross fox, which has a dark cross over the shoulders, and the melanistic black fox, which is black with white-tipped body hair. Albino red foxes are not uncommon.
All these colors can occur in a single litter; however, most litters consist of only red or russet colored cubs. In January and February courtship begins. The vixen female red fox is sexu ally mature at about ten months of age. Her estrus period is three days, but her courtship by the dog male fox will last many days. Red foxes are mono-gamous and mate for life. The gestation period is 53 days and the average litter is usually cubs. They are born in the whelping den, one of several dens the vixen maintains in her range.
They are blind and deaf at birth, weighing about three ounces. The vixen stays with the cubs for the first two weeks only leaving the den to eliminate. During this time she relies on the dog to bring food. To me a fox in its prime is all of those things and more. For mange treatments and more advice see: the National Fox Welfare Society; www. The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by Saga unless specifically stated.
The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal, medical or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make or refrain from making any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.
Treat yourself or a friend to a monthly mix of intelligent opinions, fascinating features and exclusive offers. Search Magazine. Foxes in the garden: feeding, spotting disease and deterrents David Chapman 29 January Feeding garden foxes Many people choose to encourage foxes by feeding them in their gardens.
Foods to avoid One point I would like to make is that when you put out food for foxes some of it will be taken by other animals so it is important to avoid things which might cause any digestive issues in them. A fox with sarcoptic mange. Foxes can fit through very narrow gaps, such as sheep netting. Subscribe to Saga Magazine Treat yourself or a friend to a monthly mix of intelligent opinions, fascinating features and exclusive offers.
Find out more. See details. The dog fox male parent assists the lactating vixen by bringing in food for her and the cubs. Cubs are weaned at six to eight weeks of age. From about four weeks of age the cubs begin to fight among themselves and establish their social ranking. Cubs emerge from the den on a regular basis at about six weeks and usually abandon the den to live on the surface by 10 weeks of age. Young foxes can hunt successfully for small mammals from about 12 weeks of age and most become independent at an age of five to six months.
Foxes are capable of breeding when they are about 10 months old. Mortality is greatest during the first year of life. Many young and inexperienced foxes fall victim to control efforts by humans. Foxes hunt alone and for part of the year are basically solitary animals. They become more social as the breeding season approaches, forming or re-establishing pairs.
The dog-vixen pair is the basic social group, though groups with additional, non-breeding vixens have been observed. The cubs start to take solid food at about 4 weeks and by weeks old will be eating a wide variety of solid items.
Both parents bring food to the cubs. The average litter size is cubs. The vixen will move the cubs a number of times to different dens and these moves may be caused by human disturbance.
0コメント