Red Fox - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

ORDER: Carnivora (Carnivores)
FAMILY: Canidae (Dogs)
SPECIES: Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
The red fox is mostly nocturnal, although it will sometimes venture out in the day. - A male and female pair typically inhabits a territory. - Their range has contracted in areas where they are in competition with coyotes. - Red foxes are among the main carriers and victims of rabies. -
SIZE	Red Foxes are about 38-41 cm (15-16 inches) tall and weigh about 3-7 kg (7-15 pounds). Sexes are similar, but the male may be 25% larger than the female.
DESCRIPTION	This fox usually has reddish fur on its back and sides, with a white belly and chest and a long bushy tail tipped in white. The legs and feet are black and it has a has dark pointed ears. Sexual Dimorphism: Males can be 25 -25% heavier than females.
MATING	Foxes mate early in the year, many beginning in January. The female builds the den and in a little less than two months, a litter of 1 to 10 kits are born. The den is only used for littering the newborns and not for as a home. The male and older female siblings help care for the offspring by bringing them food.
BEHAVIOR	The adult foxes usually live alone except when they are raising kits.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE	Red foxes are the most widely distributed wild carnivores in the world, they can be found in North America, Central America, northern Asia, Europe and North Africa. They can even be found in Australia, where they were introduced in about 1850.
HABITAT	Their preferred is in wooded areas, prairies, farm and brush lands.
DIET	The Red Fox is an omnivore; they eat many different kinds of food. Red foxes prey on small mammals, such as voles, rabbits and hares. They also eat birds, fruits, invertebrates and even grasses.

INTERESTING FACTS

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification. Many species can be easily recognized as American Bison (Bison bison) and Dog (Canis familiaris). Others may be very difficult.

Charles Darwin once remarked,
I look at the term species as one arbitrarily given for the
sake of convenience to a set of individuals closely resembling each other.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.


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Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Tyre Township Cayuga County, New York	Locke Township Cayuga County, New York


RedFox-294_018494	RedFox-294_004581

Groton Township Tompkins County, New York


RedFox-294_014129	RedFox-294_014160