Photo of a gray fox - the behavior of a gray fox. Gray fox - Urocyon cinereoargenteus Foxes black white gray red brown

30.10.2019

Name: Gray fox, tree fox, lat. Urocyon cinereoargenteus.

Appearance

The gray fox differs from the ordinary one in its denser physique, short legs and smaller stature. Her tail looks more fluffy and longer. However, due to the sparse undercoat, it does not tolerate cold as well. The gray fox also has a shorter muzzle and ears. The upper part of the body, head and tail are gray, with a black tint, thickening on the ridge and tail into a black belt. The sides and neck are reddish-brown, and there are white spots around the nose.

Another distinctive feature is another black line that crosses the face from the nose to the eyes, then "leaving" on the sides of the head back. The height at the withers is 30-40 cm. The gray fox is very agile and dexterous, for its family, it runs fast, and also knows how to climb trees (it was also called the tree fox).

It is noteworthy that gray foxes have an unusual coloring of the tip of the tail - it is black.

Behavior

Gray foxes feed on all kinds of small animals, birds, insects, sometimes they drag chickens. More than other types of foxes, they have a penchant for plant foods, so that sometimes the fruits and green parts of plants even predominate in their diet. After 63 days of pregnancy, the female brings in the spring up to 7 puppies covered with black fur. After a month and a half, they begin to eat ordinary food, and in late summer or early autumn they begin to independent living while the parents continue to live together.

Gray foxes only live where there are trees. They are the only representatives of the wolf family that can climb trees well, so they are often called tree foxes.. They freely climb the trunk to the crown, walk along the branches, settle down there to rest, hide from persecution, and, on occasion, destroy the nests of squirrels and birds. This ability likely allowed the gray fox to coexist with coyotes, while the brown fox population declined significantly with the increase in the coyote population.

However, the main shelters for gray foxes are burrows, crevices among stones and rocks, caves, hollows in fallen trees.

How do gray foxes climb trees? Lightly grasping the trunk of a tree with its front paws, it pushes its body up with its hind legs, which, thanks to long and strong claws, firmly hold it on the trunk. In addition, the fox is able to jump onto the branching branches of a tree, using this ability to attack prey from above from an ambush.

It hunts mainly at night and twilight, and rests in a secluded place all day, sleeps and rests. Animals are usually attached to the same place, so the way of life is sedentary, they have never been seen migrating. Burrows rarely dig on their own, but more often they occupy strangers, sometimes hollow trees are chosen as their own home, they can settle in crevices of rocks, voids under stones and trunks, even in abandoned buildings.

Gray foxes need clean water for drinking, so they regularly visit the reservoir. In this regard, they locate their lairs near the source drinking water, where, over time, a well-marked path is trampled.

Gray foxes are monogamous and live with a partner for the rest of their lives. After mating, in February, the mother can give birth to 4 to 10 cubs, which, after 11 months of age, already leave their parents. Perhaps it is precisely because of this ability to be fertile that this species did not end up on the verge of death. The annual extermination of the gray fox, for example, in Wisconsin, because of its soft fur, reduced the population of the species by up to half.

Reproduction: During the breeding season, numerous violent fights occur between males, after which the victorious male remains with the female and forms a pair. After the appearance of offspring, males take Active participation in obtaining food for puppies and protecting the boundaries of the family plot from other foxes entering here.

Habitat

Meets gray fox throughout most of North America southern regions Canada to the Isthmus of Panama also in the north South America(Venezuela and Colombia). The gray fox has not been found in the Rocky Mountains in the far northwest of the United States. The gray fox disappeared from Canada in the late 17th century, but recently they have been found in southern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. In a number of places, it disappeared after the acclimatization of the brown fox from Europe there.

Most often, a gray fox can be found in bushes, on forest edges, in mountain copses.

Gray fox subspecies

Urocyon cinereoargenteus borealis

Urocyon cinereoargenteus californicus

Urocyon cinereoargenteus colimensis

Urocyon cinereoargenteus costaricensis

Urocyon cinereoargenteus floridanus

Urocyon cinereoargenteus fraterculus

Urocyon cinereoargenteus furvus

Urocyon cinereoargenteus guatemalae

Urocyon cinereoargenteus madrensis

Urocyon cinereoargenteus nigrirostris

Urocyon cinereoargenteus ocythous

Urocyon cinereoargenteus orinomus

Urocyon cinereoargenteus peninsularis

Urocyon cinereoargenteus scotti

Urocyon cinereoargenteus townsendi

Urocyon cinereoargenteus venezuelae

The fox is often associated in people with cunning and deceit, with a red tail and a wary look. However, not all so simple. In our selection - seven such different and such charming species of foxes, which differ from each other not only in color, but also in their character.

fenech

Fennec fox can't boast large sizes- this animal is smaller domestic cat. But the fenech's ears are the envy of all predators - almost half the length of the animal's body! These ears help the fox to hear the rustle of prey - small insects and lizards that live in the sands North Africa. Besides, huge ears contribute to better cooling of the body during the heat.

red fox

red fox is the most numerous widespread species among foxes. This animal can be seen throughout Europe, in North America, in India and China, as well as in Australia, where foxes were specially brought as natural enemies without a measure of bred rodents. Red foxes tend to live in burrows. They may dig them themselves or may take over an empty burrow of other animals such as marmots, badgers or arctic foxes. However, there are times when a fox settles in someone else's mink, even though its owner has not yet "moved" to another place.

marble fox

Actually arctic marbled fox is a subspecies of the common red fox artificially bred for exotic fur.

gray fox

gray fox lives in North and Central America. They are known for being monogamous animals and living with their partner for the rest of their lives. In addition, it is the only fox that can climb trees.

Black-brown fox

Black-brown fox, or silver fox, differs from the red one only in that there are absolutely no red hairs in its color. Sometimes completely black, sometimes gray with a bluish tinge, sometimes ashen - foxes of such an exotic color are very popular in animal husbandry, where they are used to obtain fur.

polar fox

polar fox, also known as the arctic fox, is famous for its fluffy snow-white fur, which helps the animal withstand colds down to -70 C. However, in summer this fox cannot be recognized - the arctic fox is the only one among foxes that changes its color, and in warm time year it becomes a dirty brown color.

Name: gray fox, tree fox.
Latin generic name Urocyonis, based on Greek words oura(tail) and kyon(dog). species name cinereoargenteusis derived from Greek word cinereus(ashy) and argenteus(silver), indicating the dominant color of the fox.

area: There is a gray fox in most of North America from the southern regions of Canada to the Isthmus of Panama, also in the north of South America (Venezuela and Colombia). The gray fox has not been found in the Rocky Mountains in the far northwest of the United States. The gray fox disappeared from Canada in the late 17th century, but recently they have been found in southern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. In a number of places, it disappeared after the acclimatization of the brown fox from Europe there. Some researchers argue that the causal relationship between these events is doubtful. In their opinion, the decline in the number of the gray fox, and the spread of the brown fox, was the result of a change in the nature of human land use.

Description: The gray fox is smaller than the brown fox and looks like a small dog with a fluffy tail. She has short powerful legs and strong hooked claws that allow her to easily climb tree trunks and branches. Compared to other canines, the gray fox has a rather variegated color, and its coat is quite short and coarse. The tail is triangular in cross section, not rounded. Skull length: 9.5 to 12.8 cm. Number of teeth - 42.

Color: Back, sides and top part long, fluffy tail are gray or dark gray color with silver dots. The muzzle is also grey. The lower part of the neck, chest, abdomen, as well as the front and inner side legs are distinguished by a whitish-gray color. The tip of the tail is black. Slightly noticeable black stripes appear on the back (sometimes they are clearly visible). The crown, lateral part of the neck, the edges of the abdomen and the outer sides of the legs are painted in reddish-gray tones, and sometimes they have a bright reddish-orange color. Because of this coloration, the gray fox is sometimes erroneously identified as the brown fox, which can always be distinguished by its black legs and white tip of its tail. Foxes are almost black.

The size: Body length - 48-69 cm; heads - 9.5-12.8 cm; length - 25-40 cm; height at the withers - about 30 cm.

The weight: ranges from 2.5 to 7 kg, but most often it is 3.5-6 kg. Females are always slightly lighter than males.

Lifespan: in nature up to 6 years, the maximum life expectancy in captivity is 15 years.

Habitat: Most often, the gray fox can be found in bushes, on forest edges, in mountain copses. In general, she prefers wooded area, although it is found in cultivated fields and in the vicinity of cities. Of the tree plantations, pine trees are the most preferred. The gray fox prefers pine groves to deciduous ones everywhere within the range, it is here that it mainly locates its lair. At the same time, for hunting and feeding, she often chooses deciduous tree and shrub plantations, in which small mammals more numerous.

Like other canines, gray foxes communicate with each other and with the help of sounds. These vocalizations include aggressive yelps, resonant howls, soft whimpers, and specific screams. Among the sounds made by a gray fox at the sight of a person, the most characteristic is a sharp bark.

Food: The gray fox is omnivorous, and its diet is very diverse and depends on the season and habitat and includes: small vertebrates, especially rabbits, rodents, birds and their eggs, insects. Sometimes she has to eat only plant foods (fruits, fruits, nuts, grains, etc.), the fox does not refuse carrion either. Thanks to its ability to climb trees, purely arboreal creatures such as squirrels can also be found in its diet - in some places playing an important role in the diet of the gray fox, which is not the case with other wild dogs.

Behavior: Gray foxes love to climb trees, which is why they are often referred to as "tree foxes". At the first danger, they often climb low or half-fallen, tilted trees. This ability likely allowed the gray fox to coexist with coyotes, while the brown fox population declined significantly with the increase in the coyote population.
How do gray foxes climb trees? Lightly grasping the trunk of a tree with its front paws, it pushes its body up with its hind legs, which, thanks to long and strong claws, firmly hold it on the trunk. In addition, the fox is able to jump onto the branching branches of a tree, using this ability to attack prey from above from an ambush. On the ground, when chasing prey or hiding from the enemy, the gray fox can reach speeds of up to 17 km / h, but only at relatively short distances.
It hunts mainly at night and twilight, and rests in a secluded place all day, sleeps and rests. Animals are usually attached to the same place, so the way of life is sedentary, they have never been seen migrating. Burrows rarely dig on their own, but more often they occupy strangers, sometimes hollow trees are chosen as their own home, they can settle in crevices of rocks, voids under stones and trunks, even in abandoned buildings. In east Texas, a hollow was found used by a fox to rest about 10 m above the ground in a large hollow oak tree. In central Texas, a den was found in a hollow living oak tree with an entrance 1m above the ground. An unusual lair was found under a pile of wood into which the fox had "tunneled."
Gray foxes need clean water to drink, so they visit the pond regularly. In this regard, they locate their lairs near the source of drinking water, where, over time, a well-marked path is trodden.

social structure : They live in pairs, occupying a certain family territory. In the summer, while the cubs are growing up, gray foxes roam in family flocks, which break up by autumn. The area of the family plot varies from 3 to 27.6 km2, and in different family groups they usually partially overlap. Outside of the breeding season, the individual areas of males practically do not overlap, while the areas of males and females can overlap by 25-30%. The size of such an overlap depends both on the forage of the plots and on the season of the year. Being rather silent territories, gray foxes mark their territorial boundaries with the help of heaps of droppings and urine, which are left on the most visible landmarks such as tufts of grass and protruding structures: earthen hummocks, stumps, individual stones, etc. These scent marks are regularly updated, especially in places frequented by animals. A specific smell is provided by a secret that produces a pair of violet glands located on both sides of the anus. Both males and females seem to raise their legs when marking their territory with urine. A pungent smell, very similar to that emitted by skunks, is easily detected even by humans in places where gray foxes often mark "border posts".

reproduction: During the breeding season, numerous violent fights occur between males, after which the victorious male remains with the female and forms a pair. After the appearance of offspring, males take an active part in the extraction of food for puppies and the protection of the boundaries of the family plot from the penetration of other foxes here.

Season/breeding period: Rutting and mating time depends on the latitude of the area and is observed from December to April.

Puberty : males mature at 10 months; females give birth at one year of age.

Pregnancy: lasts 51-63 days, 53 days on average.

Offspring: In a den carefully lined with dry grass, foliage or crushed tree bark, from 2 to 7 (average 3.8) black-brown, blind and helpless puppies are born. In puppies weighing about 100 g, the eyes are closed, they open only on the 10-14th day. Lactation lasts 7-9 weeks, and they begin to consume solid food from 5-6 weeks. If possible, as soon as the puppies have grown a little, the foxes try to change the old den to a new one because of the mass reproduction of fleas in them, which greatly pester both adults and puppies.
At the age of four months, cubs begin to accompany adults on hunting trips.
The cubs are weaned at 6 weeks of age. At the age of three months, fox cubs begin to hunt with their parents.

Benefit / harm to humans: The fur of the gray fox is of rather low quality, so it is not of particular interest as an object of industrial hunting, but only as a sport. In the state of Texas, the gray fox is among the most important fur animals. It is abundant in desert areas, where it often helps farmers in the fight against harmful rodents. When the gray fox itself becomes a pest, eating chickens and destroying crops, farmers shoot them or catch them with all kinds of traps.

Population/Conservation Status : Widespread, not threatened.

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LIsitsa gray, Gray Fox. Latin name: Urocyon cinereoargenteus. The Latin generic name Urocyonis is based on the Greek words oura (tail) and kyon (dog). The specific name cinereoargenteusis is derived from the Greek words cinereus (ash) and argenteus (silver), indicating the dominant color of the fox. Other names: tree fox

It is found in most of North America from the southern regions of Canada to the Isthmus of Panama, also in the north of South America (Venezuela and Colombia). The gray fox has not been found in the Rocky Mountains in the far northwest of the United States. The gray fox disappeared from Canada in the late 17th century, but recently they have been found in southern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. In a number of places it disappeared after the acclimatization of the brown fox from Europe. Some researchers argue that the causal relationship between these events is doubtful. In their opinion, the decline in the number of the gray fox, and the spread of the brown fox, was the result of a change in the nature of human land use.

The gray fox is smaller than the brown fox and looks like a small dog with a fluffy tail. The gray fox has short powerful legs, strong, hooked claws that make it easy to climb tree trunks and branches. Compared to other canines, the gray fox has a rather variegated color, and its coat is rather short and coarse. The tail is triangular in cross section, not rounded. Skull length: from 9.5 to 12.8 cm. Dental formula, as in a brown fox, the number of teeth is 42.

Color: The back, sides and upper part of the long, fluffy tail are gray or dark gray with silver speckles. The muzzle is also grey. The underside of the neck, chest, abdomen, and the front and inside of the legs are distinguished by a whitish-gray color. The tip of the tail is black. Slightly noticeable black stripes appear on the back (sometimes they are clearly visible). The crown, lateral part of the neck, the edges of the abdomen and the outer sides of the legs are painted in reddish-gray tones, and sometimes they have a bright reddish-orange color. Because of this coloration, the gray fox is sometimes erroneously identified as the brown fox, which can always be distinguished by its black legs and white tip of its tail. Foxes are almost black.

Body length - 48-69 cm; head length - 9.5-12.8 cm; tail length - 25-40 cm; height at the withers - about 30 cm.

Weight: The weight of the gray fox ranges from 2.5 to 7 kg, but most often it is 3.5-6 kg. Females are always slightly lighter than males.

Lifespan: Gray foxes live for 6 years in the wild, maximum lifespan in captivity: 15 years.

Voice: Similar to other canines, foxes communicate with each other and use sounds. These vocalizations include aggressive yelps, resonant howls, soft whimpers, and specific screams. Among the sounds made by a gray fox at the sight of a person, the most characteristic is a sharp bark.

Habitat: Most often, the gray fox can be found in bushes, on forest edges, in mountain copses. In general, it prefers wooded areas, although it is found in cultivated fields and around cities. Of the tree plantations, pine trees are the most preferred. The gray fox prefers pine groves to deciduous ones everywhere within the range, it is here that it mainly locates its lair. At the same time, for hunting and feeding, she often chooses deciduous tree and shrub plantations, in which small mammals are more numerous.

Foxes especially suffer from hunters, in particular during the hunting of wild turkeys. Special Studies causes of mortality showed that a person is guilty of mortality 33% of individuals, 22% die from natural factors, 44% - from unknown factors.

The gray fox is omnivorous and its diet is very diverse and depends on the season and habitat and includes: small vertebrates, especially rabbits, rodents, birds and eggs, insects. Sometimes she has to eat only plant foods (fruits, fruits, nuts, grains, etc.), the fox does not refuse carrion either. Thanks to its ability to climb trees, purely arboreal creatures such as squirrels can also be found in its diet - in some places playing an important role in the diet of the gray fox, which is not the case with other wild dogs.

Gray foxes love to climb trees, which is why they are often referred to as "tree foxes". At the first danger, they often climb low or half-fallen, tilted trees. This ability likely allowed the gray fox to coexist with coyotes, while the brown fox population declined significantly with the increase in the coyote population.

It hunts mainly at night and twilight, and all day they lie down in a secluded place, sleep and rest. Animals are usually tied to the same place, so the way of life is sedentary, they have never been seen migrating. Burrows rarely dig on their own, but more often they occupy strangers, sometimes hollow trees are chosen as their own home, they can settle in crevices of rocks, voids under stones and trunks, even in abandoned buildings. In east Texas, a hollow was found used by a fox to rest about 10m above the ground in a large hollow oak tree. In central Texas, a den was found in a hollow living oak tree with an entrance 1m above the ground. An unusual lair was found under a pile of wood into which the fox had "tunneled."

Foxes need clean water to drink, so they visit the pond regularly. In this regard, they locate their lairs near the source of drinking water, where, over time, a well-marked path is trodden.

Social structure: They live in pairs, occupying a certain family territory. In the summer, while the cubs are growing up, gray foxes roam in family flocks, which break up by autumn. The area of the family plot varies from 3 to 27.6 km2, and in different family groups they usually partially overlap. Outside of the breeding season, the individual areas of males practically do not overlap, while the areas of males and females can overlap by 25-30%. The size of such an overlap depends both on the forage of the plots and on the season of the year. Being rather silent territories, gray foxes mark their territorial boundaries with the help of heaps of droppings and urine, which are left on the most visible landmarks such as tufts of grass and protruding structures: earthen hummocks, stumps, individual stones, etc. These scent marks are regularly updated, but especially in places frequented by animals. A specific smell is provided by a secret that produces a pair of violet glands located on both sides of the anus. Both males and females seem to raise their legs when marking their territory with urine. A pungent smell, very similar to that of skunks, is easily detected even by humans in places where gray foxes often mark "border posts".

Reproduction: During the breeding season, numerous rather fierce fights occur between males, after which the male winner remains with the female and forms a pair. After the appearance of offspring, males take an active part in the extraction of food for puppies and the protection of the boundaries of the family plot from the penetration of other foxes here.

Season/Breeding Period: Rutting and mating times vary by latitude and are observed from December to April.

Puberty: Males reach sexual maturity at 10 months; females give birth at one year of age.

Pregnancy: Pregnancy lasts 51-63 days, with an average of 53 days.

Offspring: In a den carefully lined with dry grass, foliage or crushed tree bark, from 2 to 7 (average 3.8) black-brown, blind and helpless puppies are born. In puppies weighing about 100 g, the eyes are closed and they open only on the 10-14th day. Lactation: 7-9 weeks, and they begin to consume solid food from 5-6 weeks. If possible, as soon as the puppies have grown a little, the foxes try to change the old den to a new one because of the mass reproduction of fleas in them, which greatly pester both adults and puppies.

At the age of four months, puppies begin to accompany adults on hunting trips.

Young puppies are in their first year and have been known to travel up to 84 km. Puppies are weaned at or around 6 weeks old. Gradually the pups learn to reclaim for themselves, at first leaving the den area to hunt with their parents when they are about 3 months old.

The fur of the gray fox is of rather low quality, so the gray fox is not of particular interest as an object of industrial hunting, but only as a sport. In the state of Texas, the gray fox is among the most important fur animals. The gray fox is abundant in desert areas - it often helps farmers in the fight against harmful rodents. When the gray fox itself becomes a pest, eating chickens and destroying crops, farmers shoot them or catch them with all kinds of traps.

Widespread species, no threat of destruction.

The fox is without a doubt the most interesting animal on our planet. How many stories, fables and fairy tales we know about this fiery red beauty. It is not only beauty that makes her so popular, but also a peculiar disposition, intelligence and ingenuity. The wild fox caused a lot of trouble with its thieving agriculture especially attracted her Domestic bird. However, in addition to the well-known red fox to all of us, there are more than 40 species of it in the world, different in size and color of the fur. All of them are united by the canine family, and have their characteristic features. Settling various continents, all species are united by basic similarities, lifestyle, way of feeding and reproduction.

The brightest of the kind of foxes. The red fox can be found throughout Eurasia and North America, it's hard to say where they don't live, it's all her native home. Her phenotype is characterized by a strong body structure, large size, good health, and a frisky temperament. Animals of this type have a thick, lush and silky hairline of the same length throughout the body. The chest is light or yellowish, the belly is white or reddish (like the sides), or with a black spot on a red background. The ears and toes are black. The tip of the tail is usually white, but black hair is scattered along the entire length, and not rarely and over the body. The down throughout the body is gray or brown in various shades. The ridge and sides of the animal are bright red in color, which can be of various shades. Red fox most great view kind of fox. The length of her body reaches 90 cm, tail -60 cm, weight from 6 to 10 kg.

fox the most typical predator who knows no pity for the object of his hunt. Her usual diet is rodents, insects, but she is not averse to eating hares, bird eggs, and even the bird itself. Jumping high like a cat, it will not be difficult for her to catch her.

Vegetable foods, such as fruits, berries or fruits, although they do not play a role in the livelihood of the fox, are included in its diet.

Foxes breed only once a year. Pregnancy of the female lasts from 7 to 9 weeks. From 4 to 12 puppies are born in the litter, painted in a dark brown color. Outwardly, they can easily be confused with wolf cubs, if you do not see the white tip of the tail. After 14 days, the cubs can already see and hear, and can already boast of sharp teeth. Foxes cannot be called bad parents; both mom and dad take care of the offspring. However, the constant absence of parents in search of prey leads to the early development of offspring, and already after 1.5 months of life, fox cubs can gradually develop a new territory and eat adult food. After half a year, they are considered quite adults and can live independently.

In Alaska, there is a mutation of the Canadian red breed, the black-brown fox. Currently, various breeds of foxes are known in fur farming, characterized by the type of color of animals bred by humans in captivity to obtain fur, which are the result of crossing the red fox and silver fox.

Korsak, the second representative of the fox genus. Outwardly, it resembles a red wild fox, but smaller in size with large ears and long paws. With wide cheekbones and not small ears triangular shape, the muzzle of the corsac is short and pointed. The fur of this chanterelle is light gray and reddish gray in color. But, there are individuals with an element of red on a fur coat. The belly is white, or slightly yellowish, and the chin is light. The tail tuft is dark brown or completely black. In winter, the animal can observe the appearance of a gray coating near the ridge. Hair length in animals is also subject to seasonal change. Summer short coat winter time it changes to longer and heavily pubescent fur. It is a colonizing species of the southern and eastern parts of Europe and Asia. They inhabit steppes and deserts with a small amount of vegetation. The corsac avoids dense thickets, which is why it is also called the steppe fox. As a dwelling, he exploits ready-made badger holes, burrows of marmots, gerbils or other foxes.

Corsacs usually hunt at night. The main diet is rodents, reptiles, insects or birds, which is the competition red fox. With a shortage of food, it does not disdain carrion or various garbage. Vegetable food does not attract them. At the sight of a man, the corsac shows fox cunning, he often pretends to be dead, and runs away at the first opportunity. Interestingly, representatives of this species are apparently monogamous, which is not typical of an ordinary fox. And, in the rest, with regard to reproduction, nutrition of puppies, they are almost similar. The female bears from 2 to 11 puppies (rarely 16) within 2 months. From the second week, the offspring shows the first activity, they begin to see and hear. After 5 months they leave their home.

Korsak is listed in the Red Book.

This fox is also a representative of the fox genus. It lives in the Middle East up to Afghanistan. The Afghan fox is not afraid of a hot climate, it can be found both in the mountains and in the most arid areas, for example, in the territory Dead Sea. This representative of the fox family cannot boast of large size and bright color, but her a long tail with thick fur, equal in length to the body, and draws attention to its external exterior. The height of the foxes does not exceed 30 cm, and the body length ranges from 45 to 55 cm, with a weight of 1.5-3 kg.

The animal has a small graceful head with a short and pointed muzzle, on which it extends symmetrically to each other from the eyes to upper lip black stripe. Nature, having awarded this fox with large ears, which serve it not only as an organ of hearing, but also as a heat sink in hot weather, deprived it of the protective thick layer of hair that covers the paw pads of all species of desert foxes, protecting it from hot sand.

In summer, the fox fur is covered with an unremarkable steel color with a lightish stripe on the neck and belly. Depending on where they live, animals can be light brown or almost black. And in winter, the fur coat of the Afghan fox is painted in rusty-brown hair, with a gray undercoat of black color with guard hairs. Looks very velvety and fluffy. The nutrition of the Afghan fox is quite different from other species. In addition to insects and rodents, plant food plays an important role in her life. In "love" these chanterelles are fickle, and form a couple only for the period of the mating season. In caring for offspring, a large role is given to the female. The male can only perform the protective function of the den. A fox's pregnancy lasts about 2 months, compared to common chanterelle and even the corsac fox, which does not differ in size, the Afghan fox has a low fecundity. 1-3 cubs are born, less often three.

This species is also listed in the Red Book.

They are inhabitants of dry, sandy, siliceous desert types stretching from Africa to the Sahara. African foxes lead pretty hidden view life. From known facts The existence of this species, we can say that these are rather small representatives of foxes: body size 38-45 cm, small tail up to 30 cm and height at the withers up to 25 cm, weight from 1.5 to 3.6 kg. The color of the body can be light red or brown, the tail is darker with a black tip. The back along the entire length in the center is colored with a dark stripe. Belly, muzzle and outer sides of the ears white color. The eyes of older individuals are framed with black edging. Interestingly, representatives of this genus of foxes have odorous glands at the base of the tail. The diet of the African fox is similar to that of other foxes.

A feature of their lifestyle is the presence of so-called family groups, which consist of the main couple, a single male and growing young foxes that have not yet reached sexual maturity. The breeding season of the African fox is unknown. Pregnancy in a female is faster and lasts almost a month and a half. The offspring has from 3 to 6 babies, in the upbringing of which all members of their social group take part.

Bengal fox or Indian

This is an animal of moderate build. The length of the body reaches 45-60 cm. The tail is half the length of the body, the height of the fox varies up to 28 cm. The brown coat can be of various shades: from light to red. But, the tip of the tail remains always black. Inhabits the foothills of the Southern Himalayas, Nepal, Bangladesh and India. Avoids dense vegetation, but the bare desert is also not to her taste. The Bengal fox feels good in sparsely planted forests, in fields and in the mountains.

This chanterelle also does not adhere to a diet; floristic food in its diet is a rare occurrence. The objects of her hunting are insects, arthropods, reptiles, birds, eggs and rodents. Bengal foxes are monogamous. Females have 2-5 puppies after a month and a half of pregnancy.

It is an indigenous inhabitant of the desert stretching from Morocco to Tunisia, Egypt to Somalia. Fenech is the tiniest fox with an unusual appearance. In size, this animal is like a domestic one.

cat. At the withers, the fennec fox reaches 18-22 cm, the body length is on average 30 cm, and the animal weighs one and a half kilograms. The muzzle is short and sharp. Fenech attracts a lot of attention to itself with its ears. He is the owner of the largest ears disproportionate to the head among predators. Their length reaches almost half of the body of the animal. However, such a disharmonious addition of the fennec fox is due to its habitat. Ears, like pubescent feet, inherent in all steppe foxes serve them for cooling.

The Fenech's coat is thick, silky and long. Its upper part is red or fawn, and white below. The tail is fairly hairy, with a black tip. In the wild, it digs a deep burrow with numerous tunnels, in the vicinity of bushes from thickets of grass. Fenech does not like loneliness; their family groups consist of 10 individuals. The members of such a family are usually the "married" couple, and prepubescent children from the previous litter. Chanterelle's food consists of small vertebrates, eggs, insects, carrion, plant rhizomes and fruits.

In catching for food, they show dexterity, agility, mobility and the ability to jump high and far, up to 70 centimeters in height.

The fennec fox breeds once a year. Puppies are born in 50-53 days.

The female does not leave the lair until they are two weeks old, and does not allow the male to approach them. After 3 months of life, babies can already leave their mother.

A small fennec fox can also be found at home as a pet. Fans of exotic animals are ready to pay a considerable amount for a pretty Fenech. Domestic phoenixes are very inquisitive, affectionate and amusing animals.

This is one of the representatives of the genus of South American foxes, an inhabitant of the steppes of South America. Has quite large sizes: height 40 cm, body length 65 cm, weight from 4 to 6.5 kg. The back of the fox is colored from reddish to black, with dark stripes in the middle. The top and sides of the head are red, Bottom part heads and white. The ears of the animal are triangular in shape, red in color with a white pile inside. Back shoulders and sides are street grey. Hind feet are grey, flanked with black spots below. The sides of the forelimbs are red. This fox is lucky in the variety of food on the continent. In addition to the main diet: rodents, insects, birds, the Paraguayan fox can eat snails, scorpions, fish, crabs, opossums or armadillos. Pregnancy in the species lasts almost two months. The offspring has from 3 to 6 cubs, which are looked after by both parents. At 2 months they are considered fully grown.

This is the only species of the genus of gray foxes.

thickets of bushes, forest edges and mountain copses of southern Canada and northern South America home range her habitat. For tree species characterized by an elongated, rather well-fed body on short and strong limbs, a long shaggy tail. With the size (body length 48-69 cm, tail length 25-47 cm, height at the withers up to 30 cm) of foxes, quite large individuals up to 7 kg are found. Their average weight ranges from 3 to 6 kg. Unlike the American, Afghan fox and corsac fox, the tree fox has a rather remarkable appearance. The fur on the back, sides and upper part of the tail is gray or silvery. The back can be decorated with barely noticeable dark stripes. Neck, chest, front part of the forelimbs and inner part rear, painted in white tan. Bright red-red spots flaunt on the crown, neck, edges of the abdomen and the outer parts of the paws of the animal. The muzzle of the fox is gray.

The gray fox is perfectly adapted to climb trees; for this, it has two dozen strong hook-shaped claws.

The diet of the tree species of foxes is quite diverse. For lunch, the predator can eat and fresh meat small rodents, and can get by with lean food in the form of nuts, fruits, grains. And, in some cases, it will not pass by carrion. The ability to climb trees makes it easier for the fox to succeed in hunting for squirrels, birds or their nests. Settled image foxes lead lives in pairs. The place for the lair of animals is very diverse. These can be abandoned burrows, and hollow trees, and crevices of rocks, voids under a pile of stones and trunks. The offspring of the couple appears after 51-63 days of gestation. On average, female foxes give birth to 3 to 7 black puppies.