Botanical Glossary - Home

Red Fox - On my way to Sulphurous Lake driving along Timothy Lake road, I slowed to allow this red fox to pass in front of the car. As this curious critter stopped to turn back for a good look at me, I reached into my camera bag for my camera to photograph the moment. Mr Fox didn't dilly dally and I managed one good shot before he headed into the forest close by.

The red fox is a member of the wild dog family, to which the wolf, coyote, jackal, and domestic dog also belong. Foxes are the smallest member of this canine family weighing about 10 pounds. They have large pointed ears whitish on the inside with a black tip on the outside, narrow muzzle and pointed nose, and rusty red coat with a long bushy tail.

Because of its wide distribution throughout North America, the red fox is probably one of the best known wild dogs. These creatures are not as leery of human habitations and are frequently seen in farm lands and forest edges in smaller communities. As the name implies, this fox has yellow red fur on its body with blackish boots and a white tipped tail. There are also variations in color phases in the life of the red fox from grayish yellow to jet black. Most common is the cross or patch fox which is yellowish with a dark cross above the shoulders. The Silver fox is jet black, except for the white tail tip and a few white guard hairs on its back which make it look frosty in appearance.

The red, black and silver foxes are not distinct species, but color phases within the fox family - somewhat like the differences between brown eyes and blue eyes in the human family.

The diet of the fox contains a variety of foods, both animal and vegetable. In summer, meadow mice make the chief item on the menu, but in winter mice are difficult to obtain, in which case the fox will sometimes chase after rabbits. Insects are often consumed in great quantities, and in years when grasshoppers are plentiful they make up as much as 90 percent of its food. Small amounts of grass are sometimes eaten and many wild fruits such as blackberries, grapes, blueberries, apples and strawberries are highly relished. Foxes seem to know what they need for a balanced diet and have been also seen eating bits of clay and gravel perhaps to glean essential minerals.

Occasionally the fox will raid poultry yards and will not pass up squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, pheasant, and muskrat when it gets the chance. Because of the fox will hunt animals valuable to humans, farmers will often hunt foxes to rid themselves of a predator or robber. Never the less, foxes perform an important and valuable service as a destroyer of harmful rodents and in most cases should be left alone.

Foxes mate in February or March, with the female producing 4 to 9 kits in April or May. The parents usually stay together faithfully until the pups are grown and able to fend for themselves. Both parents share in the feeding and training of each pup and are amongst the most devoted parents in the animal world.