Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) Information

 This is a different kind of post than what I regularly do. This post will be an informative post about the Behavior, Life Cycle, and History of this animal. 

Distribution And History

Besides the domestic dog, the red fox has the largest distribution of any animal in the dog family (Canidae). Red Foxes are thought to have originated in the Middle East, and then quickly expanded until they covered all of Eurasia. During an ice age, they crossed the Beringia land bridge, into Canada, when they then spread all the way down to mexico.

the foxes were introduced to Australia relatively recently by British colonists as a game animal, and they are now an invasive species as they compete with the native dingoes and damaged native bird and mammal populations in Australia. This shows just how adaptable they are. Red Foxes are capable of living in Siberia on one hand while thriving in Australia on the other.

Red Foxes are currently competing with the native Grey Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), which are more adapted to living in New England's dense woodlands. Red Foxes tend to prefer living in more open areas like field edges and riverbanks. I have lived in New England for all 16 years of my life and while I have seen Red Foxes on multiple occasions, I have not once seen a Grey Fox. I do know many people who claim to see a lot of Grey Foxes, though.

Life Cycle & Behavior

At this time of year (January), people have told me they have been hearing foxes screaming at night. All of those people live in closer proximity to large forests though, which I can probably attribute to the fact that I haven't heard any myself. My trail camera, on the other hand, has. In the video HERE, (taken a week ago)you can hear the fox bark-scream as it leaves the den. It is probably communicating with it's mate, because I don't think any other foxes would be so close to the den. The pair's musk all over the den site probably repels other animals, including members of their own species.

The Screams are typically used to attract a mate, which even male foxes who are already mated do. Foxes mate for life, but males will run off at night sometimes to try and mate with more females. Just a product of evolution. 

In April, the fox den I am researching should become the home to a litter of 3-6 kits. The female needs the carry the burden of finding enough protein to accommodate pregnancy, nursing the kits, and then feeding them entire animal carcasses. It's amazing that shes survived 3+ years of doing this, while still competing with Coyotes, Raccoons, other Foxes, and Fishers. 

in 2020, I saw the den and cubs of that year. They abandoned that den to move their cubs upstream to the den I am currently researching. I do not know why they abandoned it, but I have heard rumors that students at the High School found it, and started harassing the cubs and taking photos with them. Apparently they were throwing McDonald's burgers at the kits for better photos.

Red Foxes, along with many other competing mammals, are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular. During the day, Foxes sleep in open areas so they can easily see predators coming, but will be active if it is raining, because people are less likely to be out. Foxes actually evolved to be more nocturnal because humans are mainly diurnal, and encounters with humans can mean danger toward the fox.

Red Foxes eat snakes, rodents, shrews, opossums, frogs, insects, and birds. they have evolved longer hind legs than most other foxes because of their hunting technique that includes pouncing really high and then diving on the snow.