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Fun Facts about Red Fox

A red fox is a fox species with a reddish coat. They can be found in North America, Asia, and Europe, among other places. They are, however, most commonly associated with Eastern Canada and the Eastern United States, where they are seen in considerable numbers. Red foxes are tiny to medium-sized creatures that range in size from 8 to 12 pounds, depending on their habitat. They eat both meat and plants, which is known as an omnivorous diet.

We’ll discuss what it’s like to be a red fox, as well as their social lives, hunting habits, and predators, in this post.

1: Red foxes are the world’s largest foxes.

Wild red fox in winter.

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest true fox and one of the most extensively spread Carnivora species on the planet. It features a roughly double-length tail in addition to its enlarged body and skull. Red foxes are between 17 and 35 inches long and 16 inches tall on average. They usually weigh between 10 and 15 pounds, however they can weigh up to 30 pounds on rare occasions.

2: Male red foxes are referred to as dog foxes.

Female red foxes are known as vixens, while young foxes are known as cubs, pups, or kits.

3: Red foxes would make excellent athletes.

Red fox jumps while hunting on a foggy winter day.
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Even though an adult red fox is just about half the height of a child, it would have no trouble jumping over a six-foot fence and can swim. The earth’s magnetic field is used by these athletic red foxes to help them hunt mice and other small animals tunnelling in the snow. They can run at rates of up to 30 mph, which is useful for avoiding bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and other predators.

4: Red Foxes have exceptional hearing.

Red fox, Vulpes Vulpes, hunting prey on a meadow.

The piercing eyes and sharp ears of red foxes are two of their most recognisable traits, but both serve important functions. Red foxes have good optical acuity, which they use to spot little movements from afar and navigate impenetrable woodlands as they chase after prey, but their ultrasonic hearing is their most important sense.

Red Foxes can hear crows flying up to a third of a mile away, grouse changing roosts at 600 paces, and even a small mouse squeak from as far away as 100 metres. According to reports, they can even hear the ticking of a watch from 40 yards away.

5: Red foxes have a single mate for the whole of their lives.

Red fox couple.

Red foxes are lifelong monogamous creatures. Between January and March, red foxes mate. After a 51-day gestation period, the female delivers birth in March or April. When the four to six kits are born, they have closed eyes and dark fur.

The female looks after the kits while the male feeds them. They’ll stay in the den for approximately a month before coming out to play and eat. At this point, the parents will bring back live prey to teach the kits how to hunt. In the fall, the children leave their parents to fend for themselves.

6: The red foxes do not chew their food.

Red fox cub feeding on rabbit.

Red foxes are opportunistic omnivores who eat a wide range of meat, insects, and plant matter. It cuts the meat into manageable portions with its carnassial or shearing teeth. Food is not chewed by red foxes. Instead, they consume whole or rip off little pieces of small prey.

7: Red Foxes are divided into 45 subspecies.

There are 45 recognised subspecies of red fox, divided into two categories: large northern foxes and small, basal southern grey desert foxes of Asia and North Africa, including the ezo red fox, which lives on Russia’s and Japan’s islands; the Arabian red fox, which has large ears and is adapted to desert living; and the Trans-Caucasian fox, which lives in northeastern Turkey. The Sierra Nevada red fox is the most elusive, with only around 50 individuals left.

8: Red foxes have five toes on their forepaws, but only four on their hind foot.

Red fox (vulpes vulpes).
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The red fox’s paws have fur on the footpads, which helps them stay warm, detect prey, and muffle their approach, as well as an extra digit on the two front feet. The forepaws have five digits, whilst the back foot only have four.
The dewclaw is a toe on the back of the thigh that is taller than the other toes and provides traction while the fox is sprinting at fast speeds on slick ground. This additional toe is found in many birds, reptiles, and mammals (including dogs), but only on two of the red fox’s feet.

9: Red foxes grin when they are scared.

Two Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) cubs.

When red foxes are fearful, they submit by arching their backs, curling their bodies, crouching their legs, and lashing their tails back and forth with their ears pointed backwards and pressed against their skulls. The position is similar when displaying surrender to a dominant animal, but without arching the back or curling the body. Submissive foxes approach dominant animals from a low stance, their muzzles reaching upward in greeting.

10: Red foxes have a long history of coexisting with humans.

Red fox cub climbing up on to a garden chair.

Human activity is easily accepted by red foxes, who eventually learn to disregard it. They forage around crowded areas in quest of food and clean up litter by eating discarded food. They are incredibly intelligent and can sense whether or not they are in danger, which is why, when confronted with people, they sit and watch rather than fleeing.

Red foxes are so adaptable that if you feed them by hand or inside the house, they will come unannounced and establish their territory, causing significant problems.

Sources:Treehugger, One Kind Planet

Written by James

James has always been intrigued by dinosaurs, the universe, technology, and animals. With a Bachelor of Computer Science and years of writing expertise, he joined World Amazing Facts in 2021 as a staff writer.

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