Foxes belong to the dog family, which includes wolves, coyotes, grey foxes, raccoon dogs and their relatives. All members of this family are incredibly adaptable animals, and this makes them successful colonisers in many areas of the world practically in all habitats available and often in close proximity to humans.
The fox has featured heavily in literature throughout the ages. It has often been portrayed as the stereotypical sly and cunning creature able to outwit and deceive. Many children’s books feature foxes including the Fantastic Mr Fox, the Gingerbread Man and Chicken Licken.
More recently the term foxy has been used in a much more positive way to describe someone who is cool and attractive. It is probably because of the competition with humans that myths about these animals have frequently cast the fox in an unappealing light.
A huge boost for the foxes image came at the end of 2009 when the popular High Street chain 'Lush' brought out a special edition soap bar called the 'Fantastic Mrs
Fox' with all proceeds going towards its protection!
Vital Statistics
Foxes usually have a slender appearance with pointed ears and a long muzzle. The coat is generally a reddish colour with the back of the ears and the front of the legs black. They have a very distinctive walk: a sort of bouncy, self assured trot.
Foxes tend to weigh around 4-8 kilogrammes for a male and 4-6 kilogrammes for a female. The length of head and body combined is about 67-72 centimetres in males and about 62-68 centimetres in females.
The tail (brush) represents about a third of the total body length of a fox. Like a cat, the fox's thick tail aids its balance, but it has other uses as well. A fox uses its tail as a warm cover in cold weather and as a signal flag to communicate with other foxes.
Foxes also signal to each other by making scent posts — urinating on trees or rocks to announce their presence. You can always tell when a fox has been around by its distinctive smell. If you have dogs like mine, that love nothing more than to have a good old roll in fox poo, you will certainly be able to recognise that wonderful aroma anywhere!
In winter, foxes meet to mate. You've probably heard their courtship love songs piercing the nightime silence! The vixen (female) typically gives birth to a litter of 2 to 12 pups. At birth, red foxes are actually brown or grey. A new red coat usually grows in by the end of the first month, but some red foxes are golden, reddish-brown, silver, or even black.
Captive foxes can live up to about 14 years, comparable to domestic dogs. In the wild however, foxes rarely live more than a couple of years. In rural areas where lethal fox control is applied, up to 80% of a fox population is less than one year old. This short life span illustrates just how precarious and difficult their lives really are.
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