5 Fun Facts About The Red Fox

5 Fun Facts About The Red Fox

Friday Five: Fun Facts About The Red Fox

This week’s Friday Five is a little different.  I tend to post a lot about the foxes that live in our neighborhood  (like, A LOT of posting of the foxes).  And when I do, people are either super excited or are terrified for me and my family.  To say we love our backyard foxes is an understatement. In fact,  I am convinced they bark at our doors at night to ask if my dog and cat can come out to play.  

So, in an attempt to get everyone on board with my cute fox friends I thought I would share a few fun facts about the red fox!

Fun Facts About The Red Fox

Fun Facts About The Red Fox

1. Multiple Dens

The red fox can build a den just about anywhere, they are very adaptable.  Suburban, urban, or my backyard, foxes are great at surviving.  One fun fox fact is that they tend to have multiple dens, and their dens usually have more than one entrance.  As a way to protect themselves, they switch dens regularly when their pups are young. 

Interestingly, both mom and dad fox raise their kits together.  The kits stay with their mom and dad for about 7 months to learn the ways of the world.  

2. They Don't Eat Cats (or Kids)

When I started posting about my backyard foxes there was a lot of concern about the safety of my kids and my pets.  I am here to tell you that both my pets and my kids are perfectly safe. Red foxes don’t usually prey on anything that is larger than them and/or anything that can fight back. 

Foxes are actually omnivores, they eat both meat and plants.  We oftentimes see a fox cleaning up the mulberries that have fallen to the ground.  

A common diet for a red fox consists of: 

  • Cottontail rabbits
  • Squirrels
  • Mice
  • Songbirds
  • Fruit & berries
  • Insects
  • Lambs or poultry

3. Excellent Hearing

Red foxes have excellent hearing.  It is said that they can hear animals underground and can even hear a watch ticking 40 yards away! This means they most definitely hear us yelling “Fox News! Fox News!” each and every time we see one of them out the window.  

4. Mange

Foxes CAN carry mange and then pass that mange to your pets.  Mange is a parasite that lives on the skin of animals that can cause itching, flaking, scabbing, and hair loss.  You can tell a fox has mange if it looks scrawny and seems to be missing hair. 

If you notice these symptoms in your pet, call your vet.  Don’t panic, mange is treatable!

5. Canine or Feline?

Red foxes do, in fact, belong to the dog family along with wolves, coyotes, etc.  However, in many ways, the red fox is like a cat.  It has long whiskers, retractable claws, and excellent night vision. 

I hope you found this interesting.  We love watching “our foxes” and learning about them.  Be sure to follow me on Instagram for the up-to-date local fox news =)

If you missed last week’s Friday Five, be sure to check it out here! 

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