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Red
Fox Journal and Photos
by David J. White |
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Introduction
1: 2007
2: The Den 3: Night Visits
4: Lady 5: Prince 6: Princess
7: Kits at Play 8: Rivalry 9: Tracking 10: 2009 11: Fox Life 101 12: References and Links |
| 11: Fox Life 101 |
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those who would like to know the basics of
how foxes organize their life, here is a brief summary. I highly
recommend reading the more detailed accounts listed in 12:
References
and Links, especially those by Henry and Macdonald. Most of the
following is based on those sources. The red fox is primarily a solitary hunter. Predators that hunt together, such as wolves, can go after larger prey that can then be shared when the kill is made. The fox's diet, however, consists mostly of insects, worms, berries, and small mammals, like voles and mice. Such small items are not really "shareable". But the fox is also a social creature in that foxes generally mate for life, and maintain and defend a family territory. In Ontario, territories average about 900 ha (2200 acres). But in Britain, they may be as small as 10 ha (25 acres). In northern Canada a territory may be up to 3400 ha (8400 acres). In mid-winter, after spending the summer and fall living essentially separate lives on the territory, the male and female fox begin spending more and more time together. The pair mate in late-January to mid-February. Soon, the foxes visit three or four dens on their territory and clean them out in preparation for giving birth. During their time travelling together, the adults may share food they catch. As the birth approaches, the vixen caches food near and in the den. After a gestation period of 52 days, the kits, or fox pups, (usually three to six) are born in one of the dens. For several days before the birth, and for about ten days after the kits are born, the vixen stays in the den almost constantly. The male fox continues to hunt and brings food for the female. When the vixen returns to hunting, she tends to stay reasonably close to the natal den, keeping watch over the very vulnerable kits. The male hunts farther afield in the territory. If the den is disturbed in any way, the adults, mainly the vixen, will move the fox pups to one of the other dens cleaned out in the winter. The vixen nurses the young until they are five to eight weeks old but the kits start to eat some solid food at three to four weeks. While still in the darkness of the den, the kits start to fight and quickly establish a dominance hierarchy or 'pecking-order'. If there is a shortage of food, only the more dominant kits may survive. At about four weeks, the young venture out of the den. Initially, they stay near the entrance and quickly dive for safety at the smallest leaf-rustle. But as the days and weeks pass, they gain more confidence and explore an ever-expanding area around the den. For most of the year, foxes hunt from dusk to dawn and rest during the day. But when they are raising young foxes, the adults spend long hours during the day and night hunting to supply the ever-increasing appetites of the young. At six to eight weeks, the adults, especially the vixen, begin to take the young on short hunting expeditions. As the young kits begin to hunt on their own, mostly bugs and worms at first, the adults gradually bring less food to the den. For companionship, and safety, the kits hunt initially in twos or threes, but they soon find that hunting small prey alone is more productive. The male stops bringing food to the den at about ten weeks and he resumes his life as a solitary hunter, probably well away from the den area. The female brings food until the pups are about 14 weeks old then the kits are pretty much on their own. By that time they are exploring and hunting a larger area and gradually they leave the den, but stay on the family territory until fall. In early to late fall, the male kits leave the territory and strike off to find their own home range. Females usually disperse in late fall to early winter. Sometimes, if there is sufficient food on the territory or if the adults have moved on or died, one of the female kits may remain on or take over the family range. When a dispersing young fox finds an unoccupied territory and a suitable mate, the cycle can start anew. Juvenile foxes may disperse only a short distance to a new territory or they may travel hundreds of kms or miles to find a suitable area. A fox's life is not an easy nor a long one. In captivity, a red fox can live 10-15 years, similar to a small dog. In the wild, however, three years is typical. And 80% of young foxes do not survive their first year. The world is a very dangerous place for a small predator. Coyotes, dogs, trappers and hunters, cars, and disease all take their toll. A fox must remain very fit and healthy to catch enough to eat and to avoid the many dangers. Nonetheless, fox populations are resilient and despite all the hazards, the red fox is a fairly common animal with a nearly world-wide distribution, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. Continued in 12: References and Links. © David J. White 2009 |
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