Fox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Foxes |
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| Various true foxes: left to right, then top to bottom: red fox, Rüppell's fox, corsac fox, Bengal fox, Arctic fox, Blanford's fox, Cape fox, and fennec fox. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Groups included | |
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| Cladistically included but traditionally excluded taxa | |
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All other species in Canini |
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Foxes are small to medium-sized mammals that eat both plants and animals (omnivores). They belong to the dog family, Canidae. Foxes have a flat head, pointy ears, a slightly upturned nose, and a long, bushy tail.
There are 12 species that are called "true foxes" and belong to the group Vulpes. About 25 other types of foxes, living or extinct, are also called foxes. These include South American foxes, and others like the bat-eared fox, gray fox, and island fox.
You can find foxes on every continent except Antarctica. The most common fox is the red fox, which has about 47 different kinds (subspecies). Because foxes live all over the world and are known for being clever, they appear in many stories and folk tales. People in Europe, especially the British Isles, used to hunt foxes with dogs. This practice was brought to other parts of the world by European settlers.
Contents
Fox Biology
What Foxes Look Like
Foxes are usually smaller than other members of the dog family, like wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs. For example, the largest fox, the red fox, weighs about 4.1 to 8.7 kg. The smallest fox, the fennec fox, weighs only 0.7 to 1.6 kg.
Foxes typically have a triangular face, pointy ears, a long snout, and a bushy tail. They walk on their toes, and their claws are not retractable like a cat's, so they are not as sharp. Foxes have black whiskers on their muzzle, which are about 100-110mm long. They also have shorter whiskers on other parts of their head and on their front legs. How a fox looks can change depending on where it lives and what it needs to survive.
Fox Fur
The color, length, and thickness of a fox's fur vary by species. Fur colors can range from white to black, or black with white or gray patches. For instance, Fennec foxes, which live in deserts, have large ears and short fur to help them stay cool. Arctic foxes, however, have tiny ears, short legs, and thick fur to keep them warm.
Red foxes usually have reddish-brown fur, and their tail often has a white tip. A fox's fur can change with the seasons. It becomes thicker and denser in colder months and lighter in warmer months. Foxes shed their winter coat once a year, usually around April. Their fur color might also change as they get older.
Fox Teeth
Like all members of the dog family, foxes have 42 teeth. However, Bat-eared foxes have 48 teeth, which is six more molars. Foxes have special teeth called carnassial pairs, which are good for shearing tough materials like meat. Their long, pointy canine teeth are also great for gripping their prey.
Fox Behavior
In the wild, foxes usually live for two to three years, but some can live up to ten years. Unlike many other dog-like animals, foxes do not always live in packs. They typically live in small family groups, but some, like arctic foxes, can live alone.
Foxes are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Their diet mostly includes insects and small animals like reptiles and birds. They also eat eggs and plants. Many foxes are generalist predators, meaning they eat a wide variety of foods. However, some, like the crab-eating fox, have more specific diets. Most foxes eat about 1 kg of food every day.
Foxes often hide extra food by burying it under leaves, snow, or soil to eat later. When hunting, foxes often crouch down to blend in with their surroundings. Then, they leap with great force to land on their prey. They use their strong canine teeth to grip the prey's neck until it is dead. The gray fox is one of only two dog species known to climb trees; the other is the raccoon dog.
Fox Cubs
The number of cubs a fox has can vary a lot depending on the species and where they live. For example, an arctic fox can have up to eleven cubs in one litter.
Fox Sounds
Foxes make many different sounds:
- Whine: Young cubs make this sound when they are hungry or cold. It encourages the mother to care for them. It can also make the male fox care for his mate and cubs.
- Yelp: Around 19 days old, cubs' whining turns into small barks or yelps, especially when they play.
- Explosive call: At about one month old, cubs can make a loud, high-pitched howl to warn off intruders or other cubs.
- Combative Call: Adult foxes use a sharper, open-mouthed bark during fights.
- Growl: An adult fox growls to tell its cubs to eat or to come to its location.
- Bark: Adult foxes bark to warn others about intruders or to defend themselves.
In domesticated foxes, the whining sound can stay into adulthood. They use it as a sign of excitement or to show they are submissive to their owners.
Fox Types
Here are some of the different types of animals known as foxes:
| Genus | Species | Picture |
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| Canis | Ethiopian wolf, sometimes called the Semien fox | |
| Cerdocyon | Crab-eating fox |
A Crab-eating fox, found in South America.
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| † Dusicyon | An extinct group, including the Falkland Islands wolf, sometimes called the Falklands Islands fox | |
| Lycalopex |
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| Otocyon | Bat-eared fox |
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| Urocyon |
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| Vulpes |
The fennec fox is the smallest species of fox.
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Fox Conservation
Some fox species are endangered in their natural homes. Foxes face threats like losing their habitat and being hunted for their fur or for other reasons. Because foxes are good at finding food and are very active, people sometimes see them as a nuisance. However, foxes have also been used to control pests on fruit farms without harming the fruit.
Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis)
The island fox is considered a near-threatened species worldwide. However, it is becoming more endangered in its natural home, the California Channel Islands. Animal populations on islands are smaller than those on the mainland because there is less space, food, and shelter. This makes island populations very sensitive to outside threats, such as new predators, humans, or bad weather.
On the California Channel Islands, the island fox population dropped sharply between 1999 and 2000. This was due to a disease called canine distemper virus and attacks by golden eagles that were not native to the islands. Since 1993, the eagles caused the fox population to decrease by as much as 95%. Because there were so few foxes, their ability to survive and reproduce also decreased.
To help, conservationists took healthy breeding pairs from the wild. They bred them in captivity until there were enough foxes to release back into the wild. They also removed non-native grazing animals. This allowed native plants to grow back, providing better cover and protection for the foxes from golden eagles.
Darwin's Fox (Pseudalopex fulvipes)
Darwin's fox is considered critically endangered. This is because there are only about 250 adult foxes known, and they live in very specific areas. On the Chilean mainland, they only live in Nahuelbuta National Park and the nearby Valdivian rainforest. On Chiloé Island, they live only in the forests from the southernmost to the northwestern parts of the island.
Even though Nahuelbuta National Park is protected, 90% of these foxes live on Chiloé Island. A big problem for them is that their limited forest habitat is shrinking due to logging and fires. As forests are cut down, the habitat for Darwin's fox shrinks. This also creates more open spaces, which is preferred by their competitor, the chilla fox. So, Darwin's fox is being outcompeted.
Another issue is that they can get diseases from the growing number of pet dogs. To protect these animals, experts suggest protecting the forests that connect Nahuelbuta National Park to the coast of Chile and Chiloé Island. They also suggest looking at other forests in Chile to see if Darwin's foxes lived there before or could live there in the future, if they need to be moved. Finally, researchers advise starting a breeding program in Chile because there are so few adult foxes left in the wild.
Foxes and Humans
People sometimes see foxes as pests because they might attack chickens and other small farm animals. Fox attacks on humans are rare, but they have become more common.
Many foxes can live well in human environments. Several species are known as "urban carnivores" because they can live entirely within cities. Foxes in cities may live longer and have fewer cubs than foxes in rural areas. Urban foxes are common in Europe. They act differently from rural foxes, living closer together, having smaller territories, and hunting in groups.
Foxes have been brought to many new places, which has had different effects on the local plants and animals.
Fox Hunting
Fox hunting started in the United Kingdom in the 16th century. Hunting with dogs is now banned in the United Kingdom, but hunting without dogs is still allowed. Red foxes were brought to Australia in the early 19th century for sport. They have since spread across much of the country. Their impact on native plants and animals is still being studied. Fox hunting is also practiced for fun in countries like Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Russia, and the United States.
Taming Foxes
There are many stories of tamed red foxes and other types, but it's rare for them to be truly domesticated over many generations. A famous example is the Russian silver fox. For nearly 50 years, scientists in the Soviet Union and Russia worked to domesticate the silver-colored red fox. This selective breeding led to changes in their looks and behavior, similar to what you see in domestic cats and dogs. These changes include different fur colors, floppy ears, and curly tails. Most importantly, the new foxes became much tamer. They would let people pet them, whimper for attention, and sniff and lick their caretakers.
Foxes in Culture
In many cultures, the fox appears in folklore as a symbol of being clever and tricky. Sometimes, they are seen as magical animals.
The constellation Vulpecula is named after a fox.
In some countries, foxes are major predators of rabbits and hens. The way the populations of these two species go up and down was one of the first examples of a natural cycle studied in science. This led to the famous Lotka–Volterra equations.
Images for kids
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A comparison of skulls from a true fox (left) and a gray fox (right).
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Foxes that were removed in Carbunup.
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A tame fox in Talysarn, Wales.
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A plate shaped like two peaches, showing two foxes, from the Tang dynasty.
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See also
In Spanish: Vulpinos para niños
