Red fox

Red fox Temporal range: 0.7  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Middle Pleistocene – present
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Secure  (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Vulpes
Species:	V. vulpes
Binomial name
Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)[3]
Subspecies
45 subspecies
Distribution of the red fox   native   introduced   presence uncertain
Synonyms
Canis vulpes Linnaeus, 1758 Canis alopex Linnaeus, 1758

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest of the

The red fox originated from smaller-sized ancestors from Eurasia during the Middle Villafranchian period,^[5] and colonised North America shortly after the Wisconsin glaciation.^[6] Among the true foxes, the red fox represents a more progressive form in the direction of carnivory.^[7] Apart from its large size, the red fox is distinguished from other fox species by its ability to adapt quickly to new environments. Despite its name, the species often produces individuals with other colourings, including leucistic and melanistic individuals.^[7] Forty-five subspecies are currently recognised,^[8] which are divided into two categories: the large northern foxes and the small, basal southern grey desert foxes of Asia and North Africa.^[7]

Red foxes are usually found in pairs or small groups consisting of families, such as a

Males are called tods or dogs, females are called vixens, and young are known as cubs or kits.^[14] Although the Arctic fox has a small native population in northern Scandinavia, and while the corsac fox's range extends into European Russia, the red fox is the only fox native to Western Europe, and so is simply called "the fox" in colloquial British English.

Etymology

The word "fox" comes from

The scientific term vulpes derives from the Latin word for fox, and gives the adjectives vulpine and vulpecular.[15]

Evolution

The red fox is considered to be a more specialised form of Vulpes than the

The sister lineage to the red fox is the Rüppell's fox, but the two species are surprisingly closely related through mitochondrial DNA markers, with Rüppell's fox nested inside the lineages of red foxes.^[16][17] Such a nesting of one species within another is called paraphyly. Several hypotheses have been suggested to explain this,^[16] including (1) recent divergence of Rüppell's fox from a red fox lineage, (2) incomplete lineage sorting, or introgression of mtDNA between the two species. Based on fossil record evidence, the last scenario seems most likely, which is further supported by the clear ecological and morphological differences between the two species.^{[citation needed]}

	Arctic fox Kit fox Corsac fox Rüppell's fox Red fox [18]: Fig. 10  Cape fox Blanford's fox Fennec fox Raccoon dog Bat-eared fox

Origins

The species is Eurasian in origin, and may have evolved from either Vulpes alopecoides or the related Chinese V. chikushanensis, both of which lived during the Middle

The 3rd edition of Mammal Species of the World^[8] listed 45 subspecies as valid. In 2010, a distinct 46th subspecies, the Sacramento Valley red fox (V. v. patwin), which inhabits the grasslands of the Sacramento Valley, was identified through mitochondrial haplotype studies.^[28] Castello (2018) recognized 30 subspecies of the Old World red fox and nine subspecies of the North American red fox as valid.^[29]

Substantial

Red fox subspecies in Eurasia and North Africa are divided into two categories:[7]

• Northern foxes are large and brightly coloured.
• Southern grey desert foxes include the Asian subspecies V. v. griffithi, V. v. pusilla, and V. v. flavescens. These foxes display transitional features between the northern foxes and other, smaller fox species; their skulls possess more primitive, neotenous traits than the northern foxes^[7] and they are much smaller; the maximum sizes attained by southern grey desert foxes are invariably less than the average sizes of northern foxes. Their limbs are also longer and their ears larger.^[7]

Red foxes living in Middle Asia show physical traits intermediate to the northern foxes and southern grey desert foxes.^[7]

Description

Build

The red fox has an elongated body and relatively short limbs. The tail, which is longer than half the body length

Red foxes are the largest species of the genus Vulpes.[46] However, relative to dimensions, red foxes are much lighter than similarly sized dogs of the genus Canis. Their limb bones, for example, weigh 30 percent less per unit area of bone than expected for similarly sized dogs.^[47] They display significant individual, sexual, age and geographical variation in size. On average, adults measure 35–50 cm (14–20 in) high at the shoulder and 45–90 cm (18–35 in) in body length with tails measuring 30–55.5 cm (11.8–21.9 in). The ears measure 7.7–12.5 cm (3.0–4.9 in) and the hind feet 12–18.5 cm (4.7–7.3 in). Weights range from 2.2–14 kg (4.9–30.9 lb), with vixens typically weighing 15–20% less than males.^[48][49] Adult red foxes have skulls measuring 129–167 mm (5.1–6.6 in), while those of vixens measure 128–159 mm (5.0–6.3 in).^[7] The forefoot print measures 60 mm (2.4 in) in length and 45 mm (1.8 in) in width, while the hind foot print measures 55 mm (2.2 in) long and 38 mm (1.5 in) wide. They trot at a speed of 6–13 km/h (3.7–8.1 mph), and have a maximum running speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). They have a stride of 25–35 cm (9.8–13.8 in) when walking at a normal pace.^[47]: 36 North American red foxes are generally lightly built, with comparatively long bodies for their mass and have a high degree of sexual dimorphism. British red foxes are heavily built, but short, while continental European red foxes are closer to the general average among red fox populations.^[50] The largest red fox on record in Great Britain was a 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) long male, that weighed 17.2 kg (38 lb), killed in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in early 2012.^[51]

Fur

The winter fur is dense, soft, silky and relatively long. For the northern foxes, the fur is very long, dense and fluffy, but it is shorter, sparser and coarser in southern forms.

Atypical colouration in the red fox usually represents stages toward full melanism,^[7] and mostly occurs in cold regions.^[10]

Colour morph	Image	Description
Red		The typical colouration (see fur above)
Smokey		The rump and spine is brown or grey with light yellowish bands on the guard hairs. The cross on the shoulders is brown, rusty brown or reddish-brown. The limbs are brown.[7]
Cross		The fur has a darker colouration than the colour morph listed directly above. The rump and lower back are dark brown or dark grey, with varying degrees of silver on the guard hairs. The cross on the shoulders is black or brown, sometimes with light silvery fur. The head and feet are brown.[7]
Blackish-brown		The melanistic colour morph of the Eurasian red foxes. Has blackish-brown or black skin with a light brownish tint. The skin area usually has a variable admixture of silver. Reddish hairs are either completely absent or in small quantities.[7]
Silver		The melanistic colour morph of the North American red foxes, but introduced to the Old World by the fur trade. Characterised by pure black colour with skin that usually has a variable admixture of silver (covering 25–100% of the skin area)[7]
Platinum		Distinguished from the silver colour morph by its pale, almost silvery-white fur with a bluish cast[13]: 251
Amber
Samson		Distinguished by its woolly pelt, which lacks guard hairs[13]: 230

Senses

Red foxes have

The red fox is a wide-ranging species. Its range covers nearly 70,000,000 km² (27,000,000 sq mi) including as far north as the Arctic Circle. It occurs all across Europe, in Africa north of the Sahara Desert, throughout Asia apart from extreme Southeast Asia, and across North America apart from most of the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is absent in Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic islands, the most northern parts of central Siberia, and in extreme deserts.^[1] It is not present in New Zealand and is classed as a "prohibited new organism" under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, which does not allow import.^[55]

Australia

In Australia, estimates in 2012 indicated that there were more than 7.2 million red foxes,

The origin of the ichnusae subspecies in Sardinia, Italy is uncertain, as it is absent from Pleistocene deposits in their current homeland. It is possible it originated during the Neolithic following its introduction to the island by humans. It is likely then that Sardinian fox populations stem from repeated introductions of animals from different localities in the Mediterranean. This latter theory may explain the subspecies' phenotypic diversity.^[21]

Behaviour

Social and territorial behaviour

Red fox pressed against the trunk of a pine tree in Ilmatsalu, Estonia

Red foxes grooming each other

A pair of European red foxes (V. v. crucigera) at the British Wildlife Centre, Surrey, England

Red foxes either establish stable home ranges within particular areas or are itinerant with no fixed abode.

Red fox kits

Red foxes reproduce once a year in spring. Two months prior to

The average litter size consists of four to six kits, though litters of up to 13 kits have occurred.[7] Large litters are typical in areas where fox mortality is high.^[47]: 93 Kits are born blind, deaf and toothless, with dark brown fluffy fur. At birth, they weigh 56–110 g (2.0–3.9 oz) and measure 14.5 cm (5.7 in) in body length and 7.5 cm (3.0 in) in tail length. At birth, they are short-legged, large-headed and have broad chests.^[7] Mothers remain with the kits for 2–3 weeks, as they are unable to thermoregulate. During this period, the fathers or barren vixens feed the mothers.^[9] Vixens are very protective of their kits, and have been known to even fight off terriers in their defence.^{[30]: 21–22} If the mother dies before the kits are independent, the father takes over as their provider.^[30]: 13 The kits' eyes open after 13–15 days, during which time their ear canals open and their upper teeth erupt, with the lower teeth emerging 3–4 days later.^[7] Their eyes are initially blue, but change to amber at 4–5 weeks. Coat colour begins to change at three weeks of age, when the black eye streak appears. By one month, red and white patches are apparent on their faces. During this time, their ears erect and their muzzles elongate.^[9] Kits begin to leave their dens and experiment with solid food brought by their parents at the age of 3–4 weeks. The lactation period lasts 6–7 weeks.^[7] Their woolly coats begin to be coated by shiny guard hairs after 8 weeks.^[9] By the age of 3–4 months, the kits are long-legged, narrow-chested and sinewy. They reach adult proportions at the age of 6–7 months.^[7] Some vixens may reach sexual maturity at the age of 9–10 months, thus bearing their first litters at one year of age.^[7] In captivity, their longevity can be as long as 15 years, though in the wild they typically do not survive past 5 years of age.^[70]

Denning behaviour

Outside the

Red fox body language consists of movements of the ears, tail and postures, with their body markings emphasising certain gestures. Postures can be divided into aggressive/dominant and fearful/submissive categories. Some postures may blend the two together.^{[47]: 42–43} Inquisitive foxes will rotate and flick their ears whilst sniffing. Playful individuals will perk their ears and rise on their hind legs. Male foxes courting females, or after successfully evicting intruders, will turn their ears outwardly, and raise their tails in a horizontal position, with the tips raised upward. When afraid, red foxes grin in submission, arching their backs, curving their bodies, crouching their legs and lashing their tails back and forth with their ears pointing backwards and pressed against their skulls. When merely expressing submission to a dominant animal, the posture is similar, but without arching the back or curving the body. Submissive foxes will approach dominant animals in a low posture, so that their muzzles reach up in greeting. When two evenly matched foxes confront each other over food, they approach each other sideways and push against each other's flanks, betraying a mixture of fear and aggression through lashing tails and arched backs without crouching and pulling their ears back without flattening them against their skulls. When launching an assertive attack, red foxes approach directly rather than sideways, with their tails aloft and their ears rotated sideways.^[47] During such fights, red foxes will stand on each other's upper bodies with their forelegs, using open mouthed threats. Such fights typically only occur among juveniles or adults of the same sex.^[9]

Vocalisations

Red fox barks, recorded in Gloucestershire, England, January 1977

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Red foxes have a wide vocal range, and produce different sounds spanning five octaves, which grade into each other.^[47]: 28 Recent analyses identify 12 different sounds produced by adults and 8 by kits.^[9] The majority of sounds can be divided into "contact" and "interaction" calls. The former vary according to the distance between individuals, while the latter vary according to the level of aggression.^[47]: 28

• Contact calls: The most commonly heard contact call is a three to five syllable barking "wow wow wow" sound, which is often made by two foxes approaching one another. This call is most frequently heard from December to February (when they can be confused with the territorial calls of tawny owls). The "wow wow wow" call varies according to individual; captive foxes have been recorded to answer pre-recorded calls of their pen-mates, but not those of strangers. Kits begin emitting the "wow wow wow" call at the age of 19 days, when craving attention. When red foxes draw close together, they emit trisyllabic greeting warbles similar to the clucking of chickens. Adults greet their kits with gruff huffing noises.^[47]: 28
• Interaction calls: When greeting one another, red foxes emit high pitched whines, particularly submissive animals. A submissive fox approached by a dominant animal will emit a ululating siren-like shriek. During aggressive encounters with conspecifics, they emit a throaty rattling sound, similar to a ratchet, called "gekkering". Gekkering occurs mostly during the courting season from rival males or vixens rejecting advances.^[47]: 28

Another call that does not fit into the two categories is a long, drawn-out, monosyllabic "waaaaah" sound. As it is commonly heard during the breeding season, it is thought to be emitted by vixens summoning males. When danger is detected, foxes emit a monosyllabic bark. At close quarters, it is a muffled cough, while at long distances it is sharper. Kits make warbling whimpers when nursing, these calls being especially loud when they are dissatisfied.^[47]: 28

Ecology

Diet, hunting and feeding behaviour

Red foxes are

Red foxes prefer to hunt in the early morning hours before sunrise and late evening.[7] Although they typically forage alone, they may aggregate in resource-rich environments.^[70] When hunting mouse-like prey, they first pinpoint their prey's location by sound, then leap, sailing high above their quarry, steering in mid-air with their tails, before landing on target up to 5 m (16 ft) away.^[1] They typically only feed on carrion in the late evening hours and at night.^[7] They are extremely possessive of their food and will defend their catches from even dominant animals.^[47]: 58 Red foxes may occasionally commit acts of surplus killing; during one breeding season, four red foxes were recorded to have killed around 200 black-headed gulls each, with peaks during dark, windy hours when flying conditions were unfavourable. Losses to poultry and penned game birds can be substantial because of this.^{[9][47]: 164} Red foxes seem to dislike the taste of moles, but will nonetheless catch them alive and present them to their kits as playthings.^[47]: 41

A 2008–2010 study of 84 red foxes in the Czech Republic and Germany found that successful hunting in long vegetation or under snow appeared to involve an alignment of the red fox with the Earth's magnetic field.^[79][80]

Enemies and competitors

Red foxes typically dominate other fox species. Arctic foxes generally escape competition from red foxes by living farther north, where food is too scarce to support the larger-bodied red species. Although the red species' northern limit is linked to the availability of food, the Arctic species' southern range is limited by the presence of the former. Red and Arctic foxes were both introduced to almost every island from the Aleutian Islands to the Alexander Archipelago during the 1830s–1930s by fur companies. The red foxes invariably displaced the Arctic foxes, with one male red fox having been reported to have killed off all resident Arctic foxes on a small island in 1866.^[47] Where they are sympatric, Arctic foxes may also escape competition by feeding on lemmings and flotsam rather than voles, as favoured by red foxes. Both species will kill each other's kits, given the opportunity.^[7] Red foxes are serious competitors of corsac foxes, as they hunt the same prey all year. The red species is also stronger, is better adapted to hunting in snow deeper than 10 cm (3.9 in) and is more effective in hunting and catching medium-sized to large rodents. Corsac foxes seem to only outcompete red foxes in semi-desert and steppe areas.^[7][81] In Israel, Blanford's foxes escape competition with red foxes by restricting themselves to rocky cliffs and actively avoiding the open plains inhabited by red foxes.^{[47]: 84–85} Red foxes dominate kit and swift foxes. Kit foxes usually avoid competition with their larger cousins by living in more arid environments, though red foxes have been increasing in ranges formerly occupied by kit foxes due to human-induced environmental changes. Red foxes will kill both species and compete with them for food and den sites.^[10] Grey foxes are exceptional, as they dominate red foxes wherever their ranges meet. Historically, interactions between the two species were rare, as grey foxes favoured heavily wooded or semiarid habitats as opposed to the open and mesic ones preferred by red foxes. However, interactions have become more frequent due to deforestation, allowing red foxes to colonise grey fox-inhabited areas.^[10]

Wolves may kill and eat red foxes in disputes over carcasses.^[7][82] In areas in North America where red fox and coyote populations are sympatric, red fox ranges tend to be located outside coyote territories. The principal cause of this separation is believed to be active avoidance of coyotes by the red foxes. Interactions between the two species vary in nature, ranging from active antagonism to indifference. The majority of aggressive encounters are initiated by coyotes, and there are few reports of red foxes acting aggressively toward coyotes except when attacked or when their kits were approached. Foxes and coyotes have sometimes been seen feeding together.^[83] In Israel, red foxes share their habitat with golden jackals. Where their ranges meet, the two canids compete due to near-identical diets. Red foxes ignore golden jackal scents or tracks in their territories and avoid close physical proximity with golden jackals themselves. In areas where golden jackals become very abundant, the population of red foxes decreases significantly, apparently because of competitive exclusion.^[84] There is however one record of multiple red foxes interacting peacefully with a golden jackal in southwestern Germany.^[85]

Red foxes dominate

Red foxes may compete with striped hyenas on large carcasses. Red foxes may give way to striped hyenas on unopened carcasses, as the latter's stronger jaws can easily tear open flesh that is too tough for red foxes. Red foxes may harass striped hyenas, using their smaller size and greater speed to avoid the hyena's attacks. Sometimes, red foxes seem to deliberately torment striped hyenas even when there is no food at stake. Some red foxes may mis-time their attacks and are killed.^{[47]: 77–79} Red fox remains are often found in striped hyena dens and striped hyenas may steal red foxes from traps.^[7]

In Eurasia, red foxes may be preyed upon by leopards, caracals and Eurasian lynxes. The Eurasian lynxes chase red foxes into deep snow, where their long legs and larger paws give them an advantage over red foxes, especially when the depth of the snow exceeds one meter.^[7] In the Velikoluksky District in Russia, red foxes are absent or are seen only occasionally where Eurasian lynxes establish permanent territories.^[7] Researchers consider Eurasian lynxes to represent considerably less danger to red foxes than wolves do.^[7] North American felid predators of red foxes include cougars, Canada lynxes and bobcats.^[44]

Red foxes compete with various birds of prey such as common buzzards (Buteo buteo) and northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) and even steal their kills.^[89][90] In turn, golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) regularly takes young red foxes and prey on adults if needed.^[91][92] Other large eagles such as wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax), eastern imperial eagles (Aquila heliaca), white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), and steller's sea eagles (Haliaeetus pelagicus) have also been known to kill red foxes less frequently.^{[93][94][95][96][97]} Additionally, large owls such as Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo) and snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus) will prey on young foxes, and adults on exceptional occasions.^{[98][99][100]}

Diseases and parasites

Red foxes are the most important

Red foxes feature prominently in the folklore and mythology of human cultures with which they are sympatric. In Greek mythology, the Teumessian fox,^[106] or Cadmean vixen, was a gigantic fox that was destined never to be caught. The fox was one of the children of Echidna.^[107]

In

The cunning Fox is commonly found in

Yurok tribe believed that Fox, in anger, captured the Sun, and tied him to a hill, causing him to burn a great hole in the ground. An Inuit story tells of how Fox, portrayed as a beautiful woman, tricks a hunter into marrying her, only to resume her true form and leave after he offends her. A Menominee story tells of how Fox is an untrustworthy friend to Wolf.^[112]

Hunting

Further information: Fox hunting

The earliest historical records of fox hunting come from the 4th century BC;

Edward, Second Duke of York assisted the climb of foxes as more prestigious quarries in his The Master of Game. By the Renaissance, fox hunting became a traditional sport of the nobility. After the English Civil War caused a drop in deer populations, fox hunting grew in popularity. By the mid-1600s, Great Britain was divided into fox hunting territories, with the first fox hunting clubs being formed (the first was the Charlton Hunt Club in 1737). The popularity of fox hunting in Great Britain reached a peak during the 1700s.^[47]: 21 Although already native to North America, red foxes from England were imported for sporting purposes to Virginia and Maryland in 1730 by prosperous tobacco planters.^[113] These American fox hunters considered the red fox more sporting than the grey fox.^[113]

The grays furnished more fun, the reds more excitement. The grays did not run so far, but usually kept near home, going in a circuit of six or eight miles. 'An old red, generally so called irrespective of age, as a tribute to his prowess, might lead the dogs all day, and end by losing them as evening fell, after taking them a dead stretch for thirty miles. The capture of a gray was what men boasted of; a chase after 'an old red' was what they 'yarned' about.[113]

Red foxes are still widely persecuted as pests, with human-caused deaths among the highest causes of mortality in the species. Annual red fox kills are: UK 21,500–25,000 (2000); Germany 600,000 (2000–2001); Austria 58,000 (2000–2001); Sweden 58,000 (1999–2000); Finland 56,000 (2000–2001); Denmark 50,000 (1976–1977); Switzerland 34,832 (2001); Norway 17,000 (2000–2001); Saskatchewan (Canada) 2,000 (2000–2001); Nova Scotia (Canada) 491 (2000–2001); Minnesota (US) 4,000–8,000 (average annual trapping harvest 2002–2009);^[114] New Mexico (US) 69 (1999–2000).^[86]

Fur use

Red foxes are among the most important

coats. They are principally used as trimming for both cloth coats and fur garments, including evening wraps.^{[13]: 229–230} The pelts of silver foxes are popular as capes,^[13]: 246 while cross foxes are mostly used for scarves and rarely for trimming.^[13]: 252 The number of sold fox scarves exceeds the total number of scarves made from other fur-bearers. However, this amount is overshadowed by the total number of red fox pelts used for trimming purposes.^{[13]: 229–230} The silver colour morphs are the most valued by furriers, followed by the cross colour morphs and the red colour morphs, respectively.^[30]: 207 In the early 1900s, over 1,000 American red fox skins were imported to Great Britain annually, while 500,000 were exported annually from Germany and Russia.^[30]: 6 The total worldwide trade of wild red foxes in 1985–86 was 1,543,995 pelts. Red foxes amounted to 45% of U.S. wild-caught pelts worth $50 million.^[86] Pelt prices are increasing, with 2012 North American wholesale auction prices averaging $39 and 2013 prices averaging $65.78.^[115]

North American red foxes, particularly those of northern Alaska, are the most valued for their fur, as they have guard hairs of a silky texture which, after dressing, allow the wearer unrestricted mobility. Red foxes living in southern Alaska's coastal areas and the Aleutian Islands are an exception, as they have extremely coarse pelts that rarely exceed one-third of the price of their northern Alaskan cousins.[13]^: 231 Most European peltries have coarse-textured fur compared to North American varieties. The only exceptions are the Nordic and Far Eastern Russian peltries, but they are still inferior to North American peltries in terms of silkiness.^[13]: 235

Livestock and pet predation

Red foxes may on occasion prey on lambs. Usually, lambs targeted by red foxes tend to be physically weakened specimens, but not always. Lambs belonging to small breeds, such as the Scottish Blackface, are more vulnerable than larger breeds, such as the Merino. Twins may be more vulnerable to red foxes than singlets, as ewes cannot effectively defend both simultaneously. Crossbreeding small, upland ewes with larger, lowland rams can cause difficult and prolonged labour for ewes due to the heaviness of the resulting offspring, thus making the lambs more at risk to red fox predation. Lambs born from gimmers (ewes breeding for the first time) are more often killed by red foxes than those of experienced mothers, who stick closer to their young.^{[47]: 166–167}

Red foxes may prey on domestic rabbits and guinea pigs if they are kept in open runs or are allowed to range freely in gardens. This problem is usually averted by housing them in robust hutches and runs. Urban red foxes frequently encounter cats and may feed alongside them. In physical confrontations, the cats usually have the upper hand. Authenticated cases of red foxes killing cats usually involve kittens. Although most red foxes do not prey on cats, some may do so and may treat them more as competitors rather than food.^{[47]: 180–181}

Taming and domestication

Further information: Domesticated silver fox

In their unmodified wild state, red foxes are generally unsuitable as pets.^[116] Many supposedly abandoned kits are adopted by well-meaning people during the spring period, though it is unlikely that vixens would abandon their young. Actual orphans are rare and the ones that are adopted are likely kits that simply strayed from their den sites.^[117] Kits require almost constant supervision; when still suckling, they require milk at four-hour intervals day and night. Once weaned, they may become destructive to leather objects, furniture and electric cables.^[47]: 56 Though generally friendly toward people when young, captive red foxes become fearful of humans, save for their handlers, once they reach 10 weeks of age.^[47]: 61 They maintain their wild counterparts' strong instinct of concealment and may pose a threat to domestic birds, even when well-fed.^[30]: 122 Although suspicious of strangers, they can form bonds with cats and dogs, even ones bred for fox hunting. Tame red foxes were once used to draw ducks close to hunting blinds.^{[30]: 132–133}

White to black individual red foxes have been selected and raised on fur farms as "

Russian geneticist Dmitry Belyayev who, over a 40-year period, bred several generations selecting only those individuals that showed the least fear of humans. Eventually, Belyayev's team selected only those that showed the most positive response to humans, thus resulting in a population of silver foxes whose behaviour and appearance was significantly changed. After about 10 generations of controlled breeding, these foxes no longer showed any fear of humans and often wagged their tails and licked their human caretakers to show affection. These behavioural changes were accompanied by physical alterations, which included piebald coats, floppy ears in kits and curled tails, similar to the traits that distinguish domestic dogs from grey wolves.^[118]

Urban red foxes

Distribution

Red foxes have been exceedingly successful in colonising built-up environments, especially lower-density suburbs,

Zurich, Switzerland, they only started appearing in the 1980s.^[119] Urban red foxes are most common in residential suburbs consisting of privately owned, low-density housing. They are rare in areas where industry, commerce or council-rented houses predominate.^[45] In these latter areas, the distribution is of a lower average density because they rely less on human resources; the home range of these foxes average from 80–90 ha (0.80–0.90 km²; 200–220 acres), whereas those in more residential areas average from 25–40 ha (0.25–0.40 km²; 62–99 acres).^[120]

In 2006, it was estimated that there were 10,000 red foxes in London.[121] City-dwelling red foxes may have the potential to consistently grow larger than their rural counterparts as a result of abundant scraps and a relative lack of predators. In cities, red foxes may scavenge food from litter bins and bin bags, although much of their diet is similar to rural red foxes.^{[citation needed]}

Behaviour

Urban red foxes are most active at dusk and dawn, doing most of their hunting and scavenging at these times. It is uncommon to spot them during the day, but they can be caught sunbathing on roofs of houses or sheds. Urban red foxes will often make their homes in hidden and undisturbed spots in urban areas as well as on the edges of a city, visiting at night for sustenance. They sleep at night in dens. While urban red foxes will scavenge successfully in the city (and the red foxes tend to eat anything that humans eat) some urban residents will deliberately leave food out for the animals, finding them endearing. Doing this regularly can attract urban red foxes to one's home; they can become accustomed to human presence, warming up to their providers by allowing themselves to be approached and in some cases even played with, particularly young kits.^[120]

Urban red fox control

Urban red foxes can cause problems for local residents. They have been known to steal chickens, disrupt rubbish bins and damage gardens. Most complaints about urban red foxes made to local authorities occur during the breeding season in late January/early February or from late April to August when the new kits are developing.^[120] In the U.K., hunting red foxes in urban areas is banned and shooting them in an urban environment is not suitable. One alternative to hunting urban red foxes has been to trap them, which appears to be a more viable method.^[122] However, killing red foxes has little effect on the population in an urban area; those that are killed are very soon replaced, either by new kits during the breeding season or by other red foxes moving into the territory of those that were killed. A more effective method of urban red fox control is to deter them from the specific areas they inhabit. Deterrents such as creosote, diesel oil, or ammonia can be used. Cleaning up and blocking access to den locations can also discourage an urban red fox's return.^[120]

Relationship between urban and rural red foxes

In January 2014 it was reported that "Fleet", a relatively tame urban red fox tracked as part of a wider study by the

GPS collar stopped transmitting due to suspected water damage. Along with setting a record for the longest journey undertaken by a tracked red fox in the United Kingdom, his travels have highlighted the fluidity of movement between rural and urban red fox populations.^[123][124]

• 
  An urban red fox crossing a street
• 
  An urban red fox in central London
• 
  An urban red fox eating from a bag of biscuits in Dorset, England
• 
  "Fleet", the urban red fox from the BBC TV series Winterwatch
• An urban red fox with a discarded KFC bag

References

1. ^
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Further reading

• Osborn, Dale. J. & Helmy, Ibrahim (1980). "The contemporary land mammals of Egypt (including Sinai)". Fieldiana. New Series (5). Field Museum of Natural History.
• Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio; Hoffman, Michael & MacDonald, David W. (2004). Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs – 2004 Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group.
  ISBN 978-2-8317-0786-0. Archived from the original
  on 6 October 2011.
• Spagnesi, Mario & De Marina Marinis, Maria (2002). "Mammiferi d'Italia". Quaderni di Conservazione della Natura.
  ISSN 1592-2901
  .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to the red fox.

Wikispecies has information related to Red fox.

Look up Fox in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• "Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 18 March 2006.
• Red Fox, National Geographic
• Natural History of the Red Fox, Wildlife Online
• Sacramento Valley red fox info1
• Red Fox, Fletcher Wildlife Garden