Critter Class
Red Fox
Photo by: Ninepennies
September 29, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT6XPHXK4e4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK4kqy6ZdpA
Comment:
Cute! Red fox. I love a red fox.
Comment:
A very cute animal.
Comment:
Red Fox kits are precious !
Comment:
Blue eyes? How sweet!! Black legs? Look different than ours? To stinking darn cute!!
Comment:
So how large are most fox litters?
MVK:
AWWWWWW - they really are so cute. I was looking at one video of the same ones in this
video when they were younger, first you saw 2, then 3, then you saw something else turned out to be number 4, then a 5th. When I saw this one - there were 6!
Comment:
Lol - the female red fox is known as a "vixen"...sounds a bit like a strumpet!
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-fox/
Comment:
How many babies can a fox have at one time?
MVK:
The red fox mates from January through March. The female will make one or more dens right
after mating. The extra dens are used if the original den is disturbed. A little less than two
months after mating, the female gives birth to a litter of between one and ten kits. The
male brings the female food while she is caring for the kits. The kits start playing outside
the den when they are about a month old. The mother begins feeding her kits regurgitated
food, but eventually she will bring them live prey to "play" with and eat. Playing with
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live prey helps the young kits develop the skills they will need for hunting. The kits leave
their mother when they are about seven months old.
Per NPHTV
Comment:
I always thought the fox babies would nurse from their mother. Boy, do I have a lot to learn...
Comment:
Do foxes run around in packs like wolves, or do they tend to just pair off as mates?
MVK:
Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game—but
their diet can be as flexible as their home habitat. Foxes will eat fruit and vegetables, fish,
frogs, and even worms. If living among humans, foxes will opportunistically dine on
garbage and pet food.
Per National Geographic
MVK:
Red foxes are social animals, whose groups are led by a mated pair which monopolises breeding.
Subordinates within a group are typically the young of the mated pair, who remain with
their parents to assist in caring for new kits.[9] The species primarily feeds on small
rodents, though it may also target leporids, game birds, reptiles, invertebrates[10] and
young ungulates.[11] Fruit and vegetable matter is also eaten on occasion.[12] Although
the red fox tends to displace or even kill its smaller cousins, it is nonetheless vulnerable
to attack from larger predators such as wolves, coyotes, golden jackals and medium and
large felines.[13]
Per Wikipedia
Comment:
And how long does these adorable red kits become adults??
MVK:
They leave their mom at about 7 months old.
MVK:
Red foxes have elongated bodies and relatively short limbs. The tail, which is longer than half
the body length[52] (70% of head and body length[53]), is long, fluffy and reaches the
ground when in a standing position. Their pupils are oval and vertically oriented.[52]
Nictitating membranes are present, but move only when the eyes are closed. The
forepaws have five digits, while the hind feet have only four and lack dewclaws.[54]
They are very agile, being capable of jumping over 2 metre high fences and swim
well.[55] Vixens have three pairs of teats,[52] though vixens with 7, 9 or 10 pairs are not
uncommon.[54] The testes of males are smaller than those of Arctic foxes.[56]
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Comment:
Don't fox babies nurse for a couple of weeks?
MVK:
Yes they do nurse here is a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfR77jQaNgo
Comment:
Are foxes as intelligent as the hype would have us believe? I've never known any personally.
MVK:
Red foxes live around the world in many diverse habitats including forests, grasslands,
mountains, and deserts. They also adapt well to human environments such as farms,
suburban areas, and even large communities. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a
legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning.
Comment:
Angie in Missouri-fox kits drink mothers milk for about 9 weeks and then are weaned to the
regurgitated food
Comment:
Do Red foxes change color in the winter or am I thinking of the arctic fox
MVK:
That must be the arctic fox. I see no mention of the red fox changing - except winter coat
thickening.
Comment:
I think the fox hangs out in the Enchanted Forest - I see little tracks sometimes on the trails.
After the last big storm I kept looking underneath the downed trees to see if somebody
might have a den under there
MVK:
Yes he does and they do like to have dens under trees.
Comment:
MVK We have red foxes here in mi. They are so beautiful. How fast do they run? Happy
Birthday tomorrow!!!
MVK:
They have been clocked at 45 MPH
Comment:
Trying to catch up, just watched the video. red fox kits are so cute, makes me want one for a pet.
. .i know, bad idea. go sit in the corner. . .
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MVK:
Yeah - but they are cute aren't they - heh - move over need a bigger corner! LOL
Comment:
Are they in most states? we saw one last year walking though the meadows of Yosemite, Calif
Comment:
I love that the females are called Vixens!
MVK:
There is a video on YouTube of two foxes jumping on a trampoline.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY&feature=related
Comment:
Anything else besides foxes considered to be vulpine? I don't know if that is a family, phylum, or
what.
Comment:
Have you run across anything about the Fox and rabies ? I've been trying to Google it but other
than the types I haven't found any mention of their susceptibility to rabies . Last yr in our
town a man went out the back door of his business and a red fox rushed him . Luckily he
was able to grab a piece of lumber and hit the fox , called authorities , fox tested positive
for rabies . Something similar happened a couple of years before that . Last yr I had my
Chihuahuas on front porch ( gated in ) while I mopped , lady rang my doorbell to let me
know that while walking her dog she heard growling and saw a fox in my front yard ,
approaching my porch .
MVK:
We have had foxes here positive for rabies the past few year.
Comment:
MVK Do foxes mate for life? Thanks for fixing the bottom so I could vote. Have a fun day
tomorrow!
MVK:
They usually mate for life - may split up after mating season but wil reunite the next year.
Comment:
here's a link to Wikipedia where they mention the different species of foxes that are in the genus
'Vulpes' (I can't keep the classifications straight either, but they're listed on the right hand
side of the page) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulpes
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