She is the smallest member of the popular Canine (or Canine) family. It is distributed almost all over the world. She, like her relatives - coyotes and jackals - was able to survive, despite the harsh onslaught of man. The people called her a cunning cheat. Who is she? Of course, the fox!

Who is she?

(or redhead) is predatory mammal belonging to the Canine family. It is the most common and most close-up view from the fox family. The size of these animals does not inspire much fear, since the size of a fox is usually about a small dog. Their body length ranges from 60 to 90 cm, and the length of the legendary tail does not exceed 60 cm. It weighs red cheat from 6 to 9 kg.

Where is it common?

Currently, the habitat of this red predator is extensive. The common fox is distributed throughout Europe and Asia, up to southern China, in southern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Egypt) and in North America, up to the northern coast Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, this Red beast was artificially acclimatized by man in Australia! Since then, these beasts have spread throughout almost the entire small continent. We will tell you more about the settling of certain areas by foxes when we talk about their ecology.

How does she look?

The common fox, the description of which we will now give, is a rather elegant creature. Fox fur has always been famous for its beauty, silkiness and reddish-orange tint, playing in the sun. The fox's breast is white, and black "boots" are clearly visible at the ends of the paws. The muzzle, like all Canids, is elongated. The special charm of this creature is given by intelligent eyes, similar to those of a cat. Her legendary tail is fluffy and long. He visually enlarges the fox in size.

In general, the color and size of these predators are completely different, much depends on the habitat of the animal itself. For example, an ordinary fox living in the northern territories (the photo is given in the article) is larger than its counterparts, and its fur is lighter. In turn, closer to the south you can meet small foxes with tarnished fur. However, her most popular color is bright red, because it is not for nothing that she was nicknamed the red cheat!

What does she eat?

Mostly red foxes prefer open meadow areas where you can catch rabbits and even grasshoppers. Their main “menu” is small rodents from the Polevkov family. It is believed that the population of red foxes largely depends on their number in a particular area. This is especially important in winter: in the cold season, these animals hunt exclusively for foxes, which regulates the number of mouse-like rodents.

Hares are of secondary importance in foxes, however, in some cases, cheats are purposefully engaged in catching rabbits and rabbits. During the so-called hare pestilence, foxes can become scavengers and eat their corpses. Birds play a smaller role in the diet of the red beast, but on occasion, she will not miss her chance! Foxes love to devastate bird eggs, steal domestic chickens, geese, etc.

By the way, these animals, although they belong to but do not disdain and vegetable feed. The common fox eats various berries (strawberries, blueberries, cherries), apples and grapes with pleasure. In times of famine, these animals eat oats, causing significant damage to crops.

How does she hunt?

The main hunting of the common fox is catching voles. This process even got its name - mouse. So she mouses the voles: smelling a rodent under the dense snow cover, the beast first begins to carefully listen to its squeaks, jumps and rustles, and then dives under the snow! Sometimes a fox can quickly and deftly scatter snow in different directions, trying to catch a vole. And she succeeds.

Lifestyle

Usually red foxes live in pairs, in rare cases - in families. Their dwelling is nothing more than an ordinary hole. They can dig holes for themselves or occupy someone else's (for example, burrows of arctic foxes, badgers, marmots). You will not find fox dwellings anywhere: an individual site should not only provide its inhabitants with a normal amount of food, but also be located in a suitable place. These places most often become all kinds of slopes of hills or ravines.

Fox holes usually have several entrances leading through long tunnels to the most important chamber - the nesting area. Often these animals take a fancy to and, accordingly, equip natural shelters - crevices, hollows, caves. As a rule, these animals do not have permanent dwellings. They use only temporary shelters during the period of raising their offspring, and the rest of the time they live in open areas where there are a lot of mice. In the wild, these animals live only up to 7 years, but increasingly, their life expectancy does not exceed 3 years. It has been noted that in captivity they can easily live a quarter of a century.

Ecology of the red fox

As mentioned above, the ecology of this red beast is very extensive. The colors of the fox and its size are directly related to the habitat of the animal and certain factors that determine the existence of the fox in certain areas. The red cheat with different density inhabits all the landscape-geographical zones available in the world: these are tundras, subarctic forests, steppes, deserts, and even mountain ranges in all climatic zones.

Whatever the area of ​​\u200b\u200bsettlement of the common fox, it still gives preference to open areas and areas with ravines, groves, hills and copses. This is explained by the fact that in winter period snow cover in such places not too deep, but loose. This allows the foxes to easily do their usual thing - mouse. You already know what it is.

The red fox tends to lead in most regions the globe these animals are not characterized by any migration. Mostly inhabitants of mountains, tundras and deserts migrate. The young growth in this case leaves " parental home”, moving at distances up to 30 km from it.

The fox is ordinary. Description of subspecies

This type of fox is rich in its various subspecies. In total, there are more than 40 of them. Scientists have calculated that with their variety of subspecies, these cheats are second only to the progenitor of domestic dogs - the wolf. From time immemorial, the fox has demonstrated amazing ability to survival. Perhaps it is for this reason that the classification of the red fox is so rich. So, its most popular subspecies are recognized:

• European forest;
• Tobolsk;
• Anadyr;
• Yakut;
• Kamchatka;
• Sakhalin;
• Ussuri;
• shantar;
• European steppe;
• Azerbaijani;
• Dahurian;
• Turkmen;
• Crimean;
• Caucasian;
• Turkestan;
• Armenian.

reproduction

Like their wolves, red foxes are monogamous. They breed no more than once a year. At the same time, the breeding period and its effectiveness directly depend on the fatness of the animal and on external factors, For example, weather conditions. It often happens that more than 50% of female foxes ordinary years cannot produce new offspring.

Zoologists note that the red fox is doing an excellent job with its parental responsibilities. For example, males not only actively raise their offspring, but also take care of females. Parent foxes diligently improve their burrows and, like primates, catch fleas on each other. If one of the parents dies, another individual of the corresponding sex takes its place.

The fox is one of the most beautiful predators. The color of the skin is red, the tail is long and fluffy, the muzzle is long and narrow, and the eyes are smart and cunning. The fox is about the size of a small dog. The color of the red cheat varies from fiery red to gray. In the north, foxes are almost red, in the steppe they are gray-yellow. Silver fox, by the way, is also common fox with some deviations from normal coloration. The most beautiful is black-brown fur. Therefore, silver fox has long been bred on farms.

The fox lives in Europe, and in Asia, and in America, and in Africa. This animal adapts well to different climatic conditions. Southern foxes are smaller than northern foxes, and besides, northern foxes have thicker and fluffier fur. The fox is an extremely agile and frisky animal. She runs so fast that it is difficult for dogs to catch up with her. In addition, this is a very cunning beast: she can indulge in various tricks, confusing her own tracks or getting her own food.

What does a fox eat. How the fox hunts

The fox is a great hunter. In addition to observation and ingenuity, she has excellent memory, good sense of smell and remarkably acute hearing. The squeak of a vole, for example, a fox hears for 100 m. Being a predator, the fox eats a wide variety of animals. She eats mice, hares, rabbits, amphibians, reptiles with pleasure, digs up earthworms from the ground after rain, catches fish and crayfish in the river. But the red cheat is especially fond of feasting on a bird. Therefore, she often looks into chicken coops. By the way, the proximity of a person does not scare a fox at all, so you can often find a fox hole very close to the village. The fox successfully supplements the meat diet with berries, apples, and vegetables.

Each fox has its own individual feeding area. She jealously guards him from the intrusion of strangers and always knows what is happening near her hole. The fox usually hunts in the evening and at night, although there are exceptions. Some animals prefer to go around hare nesting sites during the day, hunt birds and feed exclusively on large game, neglecting mice or frogs.

Despite the fact that the fox will not miss the opportunity to feast on a gaping hare, catch a black grouse or ruin a bird's nest, in the forest it does much more good than harm. The main food of foxes is voles, mice, ground squirrels and other rodents that are harmful to agriculture. And the growing foxes exterminate the May beetles in large numbers - well-known pests in forest areas.

Mating season for foxes

The mating season for the fox begins in January - February. At this time, the female rushes to search for males, who declare their readiness to marry with a short, abrupt bark. During the rut, you can see an amazing group: a beautiful female runs ahead, and several males follow her at once. In the end, the patience of males is depleted, it's time to choose which of them is worthy to take a place next to the female. You can watch fierce fights between males, during which the fox patiently waits in the direction of the winner. Only the strongest fox gets the right to mate with a female. At the end of estrus, the foxes scatter to the sides.

fox cubs

Pregnancy in foxes lasts 51 - 52 days. By the end of this period, the paternal instinct wakes up in males. They search for pregnant females and again fight with rival males, now for the right to stay near the female. From now on, the winner takes all the hardships family life: helps to dig a hole, feeds the fox at a time when she still cannot leave newborns, shares with the female the responsibility for raising young foxes. Fox cubs usually appear in late April or early May.

At first they are brown in color and very similar to puppies, but they all have hallmark- white tip of the tail. The young generation is growing up quickly, by the 20th day of life they are already beginning to crawl out of the hole and feed not on mother's milk, but on live food. It is not easy for the father of the family to feed the voracious cubs, so the female also begins to help in the extraction of food. Parents not only bring live mice, birds and small animals into the hole, but also begin to teach the kids the basics of hunting. At first, the cubs prey on May beetles and grasshoppers, but gradually they become accustomed to preying on larger game: voles, lizards, and frogs.

Fox cubs grow rapidly, and already in August it is difficult to distinguish them from a distance from an adult animal. In November, young foxes begin an independent life and disperse in all directions.

Where does the fox live: the habits of the fox. fox holes

Foxes don't always live in burrows. They use these dwellings only when raising offspring, and spend the rest of the time on open space. Foxes have almost no feelings of home. They settle where they like, and even then not for long. The fox willingly digs holes near human dwellings, sometimes foxes wander even into big cities. The fox often does not want to dig a hole on its own and uses other people's dwellings, for example, the fox has great respect for comfortable burrows dug by a badger.

A mature fox acquires burrows not only in order to grow offspring in them or hide from prolonged bad weather. Often burrows serve as a refuge for them in case of danger.

The old fox, as usual, has not one hole where her brood is placed, but several at once, which provide her with a reliable refuge in exceptional cases.

Fox hatching holes are mainly located on the slopes of a ravine, not far from a stream, in a forest thicket, that is, where people usually do not wander. It happens that the fox from year to year returns to the hole dug by her once. Then such "apartments" are constantly expanding, being renovated, acquiring several additional "rooms", which are usually located on 2 - 3 floors. Hunters are well acquainted with such holes and call them "secular".

Usually, a fox hatching hole is equipped with several exits - otnorks, which allow it to leave its shelter unnoticed in case of danger. The main snout, which the fox regularly uses to enter and exit, is noticeable from afar. Usually this is a clean area, sprinkled with sand, which appeared here as a result of many years of cleaning the hole. Here you can often see playing foxes.

The fox's molting period

By the end of winter, the fox coat, previously shiny and fluffy, begins to fade and becomes rough. The fox begins a period of molting - hair falls out, and the beast loses its external attractiveness. Molting occurs quite quickly, and by May the foxes acquire a new fur coat - summer. If the fox is sick or thin, the molting period is extended, and then even in June you can see a fox with disheveled winter fur. Summer wool is not valued: it is coarse and rare, since there is practically no undercoat - with the beginning of autumn, the wool begins to thicken. And only with the onset of cold weather fox fur begins to be considered full-fledged.

Fox hunting. How to hunt a fox

For fox hunting to be successful, the hunter must learn about all the habits of this cunning beast. In addition, you need to learn how to unravel the fox trail and distinguish it from the dog. For an experienced tracker, a fox trail can tell a lot: about the age and gender of the past fox, about where the beast was and what he did, whether he was hungry or full. The tracker reads the footprints, as in open book and this can only be learned through continuous practice.

Compassion as a diagnosis.

And tell me, dear ones, what does compassion indicate? Such an event happened. Someone threw newborn kittens under the windows, in the heat, as planned, they did not die and screamed for almost a week ...

Silver black

Two breeds are known in foxes, which determine the color of Silver-black and Black-brown foxes. The first arose among wild foxes in Canada, the second - among foxes in Eurasia and Alaska. For this reason, Silver Foxes are often referred to as Alaskan Silver Blacks in foreign literature.

Shades of Silvery Black Fox are classified as "very light", "medium light", "light", "medium", "medium dark", "dark", "very dark". However, no matter how dark or light the color is, most often the ears, tail, muzzle, abdomen and paws will always be pure black.

Depending on the area of ​​the body occupied by silvery hair, the percentage of silveriness is determined: silverness located from the root of the tail to the ears is taken as 100% (ears, paws, abdomen, tail and muzzle are usually completely black); for 75% - from the root of the tail to the shoulder blades; for 50% - from the root of the tail to half of the body. The body area occupied by silveriness can be any (10%, 30%, 80%), but always starts at the root of the tail.

Hair, in which only the top is dyed, is called platinum (in contrast to silver, in which their central part is dyed). Availability a large number platinum hair in fox pubescence is undesirable. They, to a greater extent than silver ones, are prone to breakage of the rod, which leads to the development of a defect in pubescence - cross-section. The black ends of the hair form a veil over the silvery zone.

As we have already found out, there are 5 types of "silver": Standard (AA bb), Non-standard / Sub-standard (Aa bb), Alaskan (aa BB), Sub-Alaskan (aa Bb), Double silver (aa bb). What is the difference?
Standard Silver Black was bred in Canada and later, in the course of selection, more silver was grafted into it. The Standard Silver is smaller than the Alaskan, the fur is more silky, the black color is rich and uniform.
Sub Standard Silver Black. Metis Standard Silver Black and Alaskan. Outwardly, it almost does not differ from the Standard.
double silver- mestizo of Standard and Sub-standard Silver.
Alaskan Silver-black. Prior to breeding work, Alaskanskaya Serebristaya was distinguished by a more faded, brownish tint of black. Today, it is almost impossible to distinguish the Standard Silver from the Alaskan, although it is believed that the Alaskan Silver still has some tints of brown, which makes the Standard Silver-black much more attractive in terms of fur quality.
Sub-Alaskan Silver Black- mixed Alaskan Silver with Double Silver. The quality of the fur is more similar to the Alaskan Silver-black.
Black. Pure black foxes are uncommon and more preferred rather silvery black with large quantity"silver". Its quantity depends only on the influence of the genes responsible for it.

When crossing Silver-black or Black-brown foxes with red, the inheritance of color is intermediate - offspring according to appearance different from both parents. But the coloring can vary significantly: sivodushki (krestovki), bastards and "zamarayki" can be obtained.

SIVADUSHKA (KRESTOVKA)
Sivadushki are characterized by a significantly greater development of black pigment than red foxes. They have a dark muzzle, with the exception of rufous spots near the ears; a dark stripe runs between the ears and descends to the back and shoulder blades. Red spots remain around the ears, on the neck, behind the shoulder blades, as a result of which a more or less pronounced dark cross forms on the shoulders. Black coloration sometimes passes to the abdomen. On the rump, the dark color descends to the hind legs, but the areas at the root of the tail remain rufous. Chest, belly, legs dark. All, even very dark, Sivadushki have red hair on their backs in addition to black, which distinguishes them from the Black-Brown with a highly developed red spotting.

ORDINARY KRESTOVKA
Color category - natural color
Responsible Factor: Silver Black + Red / Silver Black + Silver Black with Fire Gene / Red + Red with Silver Gene (or any other combination with AaBb gene)
Nose black/dark brown. The eyes are yellow, hazel, brown or red (orange). Shade can be lighter/darker. The red/brown patches can be intense or rather faded.
The color is used to breed other colors, as it contains both the red and silver gene.

SMOKY (BASTARD)
Bastards are similar in color to the Red Foxes, but always have black spots on both sides of the upper lip("mustache"). The black coloration on the paws is much more developed and extends on the front paws to the elbow, and on the hind paws - along the front surface of the leg to the knee joint. A significant amount of black hair is scattered over the entire surface of the body and especially on the tail, which gives the coloration a denser tone. Belly gray or black. The eyes can be any color except blue and pink.
Color category - natural color. The responsible factor is: Red with the Silver gene (Basta "rd). (It is believed that this is a mestizo of the Red and Silver-black fox, but this has not been proven. So it is Red with the Silver gene). Morphology (General): reach 20 kg. , length about 125 cm, height at the withers about 40 cm. Tail up to 70% of the total body length.
Wild foxes that live in Europe, namely in its Western European part, are predominantly of this color.

At birth, Sivadushki and Bastards have the same color: they are dark gray, like puppies of black foxes, and have only small brown areas near the ears and on the body behind the front paws. In red foxes, puppies are also gray, but the brown color captures the entire upper part heads. Subsequently, in bastards, earlier than in sivodushki, gray hair is replaced by red. In red fox puppies, the change from gray to red hair is most intense.

"ZAMARAYKA"
The term Kamchatka hunters. Widespread in Kamchatka, in areas where Black-brown foxes are found. "Zamarayki" have a great resemblance to bastards.

All listed varieties are very similar and at birth it is almost impossible to determine what color will be adult fox. This becomes clear when the fox sheds its baby fluff and begins to grow up.

Cunning and grace - this is how you can briefly characterize such an animal as a fox. Their beautiful fur and bewitching look involuntarily force you to be fascinated.

Appearance

Foxes are medium sized animals. Their body length is within 80-100 cm, and their height is 35-55 cm. They weigh from 1.5 (fenki) to 10 kg. The description of the fox is complemented by the mention of a slender and flexible body with a sharp and elongated muzzle. The legs are rather short compared to the body.

In nature, the color is red, gray or brown (depending on the type of fox), and the fur is different in length and density. Light fur goes from the bottom of the muzzle, along the neck and belly. The inner surfaces of the paws also have light fur. Also on the paws in front there are blotches of black-brown color.

The tail is very fluffy and can even serve as a blanket if the animal lay down to rest. The color of the tail is darker than that of the rest of the coat, and at the very tip it is light, like on the belly and neck.

Varieties

Red (red)

The species is the most common and largest in number. The red fox is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, as well as on the Australian continent.

Gray

Registered in the lands of North America. This species is distinguished from the common fox by a more spectacular fur coat, which combines grayish-black and red colors. They are also distinguished by their ability to climb trees well.

black-brown

At its core, this is a subspecies of the red fox breed, which is distinguished by changes in the pigmentation of the color of the fur. However, this change causes genuine interest among connoisseurs of fur, due to which this species is actively grown by breeders.

Arctic (Arctic fox)

They live in the Arctic Circle, where very thick fur helps them cope with the cold. The northern fox differs in the small size of the body, paws and muzzle.

The inhabitants of the African continent, whom nature itself has adapted to highest temperatures. She endowed these cute animals with large ears and cream-colored fur that does not collect the heat of the scorching sun.

habitats

Almost every continent has one or another species of this animal. Eurasia, Africa and North America- everywhere you can find references to these animals. AT South America there are also places where the fox lives, but they are territorially located exclusively to the north of Colombia. Separately, they were brought only to Australia - to spread the species on this continent as well.

Lifestyle and habits

Prefers living in open areas adjacent to woodland. For living, foxes dig holes, where they can either hide from surveillance, or wait out inclement weather. The fox hole is a structure of complex shape, consisting of many labyrinths. Moreover, with each subsequent generation, foxes only complicate and complement the design of the labyrinth.

Foxes are solitary hunters, however, to create a family, they come together in pairs.

Solitary foxes survive on high stamina and cunning, which lies in the main habits of the fox - the ability to confuse its pursuer or victim. They also come to the aid of fast legs - the speed of the fox can exceed 10 km / h.

Traces

The peculiarity of the movement of any fox is that it never follows a straight path. This is due to the nature of the fox, or rather its simple curiosity - every corner on the way must be explored. In addition, it helps her get away from the chase much faster.

Fox tracks can be confused with dog tracks. But looking closely, you can see that they will be slimmer, and the claws leave a clearer imprint. Step length is about 25-30 cm.

If a fox moved on shallow snow in winter, then the location of the fox's tracks will be stretched in one line - as if under a ruler.

Nutrition

Depending on the time of year and location, the list of what foxes eat may vary. These are mainly small rodents, hares and birds. Sometimes red predators feed on found carrion.

And what does the fox eat if the hunt was unsuccessful? The redhead switches to a plant-based diet, berries and fruits growing in the forests, as well as the green parts of some plants, help her out.

It is in the habits not to hunt near the place where foxes live. The hunting technique contains a lot of features that help the fox hunt alone. For this, stalking is actively used, abrupt shifts running directions and unexpected throws at the victim.

reproduction

The mating season is the time when loners by nature, as foxes are all the rest of the time, unite to raise the growing offspring. This period usually ends in February, after which the male begins to actively take care of the female, to the point that she gets the prey after the hunt.

Also, before the birth of fox cubs, the couple prepares a separate place - a hole is dug, most often with deep passages and a couple of sidings for retreat in case of danger. The fox cubs in a hole, where the little foxes spend the first days of their lives.

Pregnancy lasts 1.5-2 months. Usually the female brings 4-6 cubs. The father of the family supports the fox with the cubs until all the kids grow up and become ready for an independent life.

As part of this preparation, adult foxes bring live prey into the hole and acquaint the younger generation with what foxes eat and what hunting techniques should be used.

Economic importance

The benefit of foxes also lies in their passion for the extermination of other species. So, for example, information about the fox says that this species annually saves entire fields, destroying harmful rodents like voles. Also, forestry assistance is also a plus, because the fox diet also includes some types of harmful insects that can cause serious damage to young tree plantations.

Folklore

It is impossible to imagine Russian folklore without mentioning the red fox. Together with the bear, the wolf and the hare, the fox is one of the main characters in many folk tales. In these tales, the fox usually symbolizes cunning, and is referred to only as a "cheat", a cunning "cousin" or "sister".

Given this peculiarity of perception, it would be strange for us to know that in Japan the characteristic of a fox is extremely unpleasant and dark - something close to a demon. Such an enemy of the whole human world in Japanese mythology loves to settle in the bodies of others. The fox in their tales feeds on power human life, replaces ordinary thoughts with terrible illusions, and dreams with nightmares.

fox hunting

Among hunting trophies, the fox has lost its desirability among hunters today. In the era of the USSR, fox fur was simply in great demand, which led to the great popularity of this beast among hunters. Given the wrecking of the beast in agriculture, his shooting is allowed all year round without having to purchase a license.

Basically, they go to the fox from the approach or using decoy. A hunting suit should be "quiet" and not create squeaks or rustling. Yes, and on the room it is worth observing the utmost silence - the beast has excellent hearing and can easily get away from the unlucky hunter. In addition to sounds, you need to make sure that the animal does not smell the hunter - you need to approach the leeward side.

For hunting in the thicket or dense forest small fraction is used. From a distance of 30 meters, the deuce is perfect to stop the beast. But, given that the distance is likely to be much less, then the use of a small caliber seems more justified, because it will not damage the fur so much.

The cunning nature and beautiful fur are not the only reasons to pay attention to foxes.

There is Interesting Facts about foxes, which will allow you to look at these animals in a new way:

1. Despite the direct relationship with dogs, they have a lot of similarities with the representatives of the cat family. These include mainly night image life, as well as claws that can be extended.
2. Like turtles and sharks, these red-headed predators can sense the Earth's magnetic field. They use it as a natural compass, orienting themselves to the north at night, which greatly facilitates night hunting.
3. It will also seem interesting how long foxes live in captivity. On average, the life expectancy of foxes in captivity can be much higher than in the wild. Domesticated individuals sometimes live up to the 25th birthday, while free individuals, due to disease and hunger, may not live even three years.

Video

You will find even more interesting facts from the life of a red-haired beauty in our video.

Seems to be thanks folk tales we know everything about the fox. She is the first raider in the world who captured a bast hare hut only because it was cold for her to spend the winter in an icy one. She is an unreliable business partner, with whom it is better not to mess with even a straightforward, unsophisticated wolf. She is so cunning that she can extricate herself from any sticky situation, especially one that would threaten her life or her red fluffy tail.

In the folklore of many peoples of the world, she was given the status of an “anti-hero”, and even the famous medieval “Romance of the Fox”, in which the Fox Renard looks very attractive against the background of the characters opposing him, could not shake this opinion.

Naturally, the answer to the question of what the fox eats is assumed to be unambiguous: the scope of its gastronomic interests is defenseless bunnies, koloboks, which so carelessly escaped from their owners, chickens, which we did not have time to keep track of for some reason ... And we, like the presenters the popular American TV show MythBusters, we will now try to find out how “a fairy tale is a lie” and what percentage of a hint it contains. Moreover, in recent times keeping foxes at home is becoming fashionable, and it is natural that their owners are very interested in the issue of feeding their red pets.

But, as usual, let's start in order and a little from afar.

As science says...

If we apply for primary general information to scientists, then with considerable surprise we learn about disagreements in determining which animals can be attributed to foxes. We will be told that in common word"Fox" is the name given to the mammals of the canine family, and it will be added that only ten species are assigned by zoologists to this genus. However, the existing classification consists of at least 22 species. Thus, we can make an intermediate conclusion that the diet of a fox directly depends on two factors: where it lives and what species it belongs to.

The most famous and widespread representative of foxes, which will be mainly discussed, is an ordinary fox. It is distributed over most of the land - both in the Russian forest and in the Canadian tundra, and in arid areas. North Asia and on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Throughout the territory inhabited by it, there are more than 40 subspecies, not counting those that are artificially grown in captivity for fur. But they differ from each other in formal features than on the essentials.

What does it eat

In the matter of nutrition, the fox shows an amazing omnivorousness. Despite the fact that she is a predator to such an extent that she does not disdain carrion in winter, her menu also includes a number of plants. The main component of its diet in the wild, especially in winter, is small rodents: field mice, steppe lemmings, mole voles, lemmings, muskrats. There is even a special kind of hunting for them - mouseling - inherent only to the fox and consisting in the following: smelling a rodent under the snow, she first "listens" to him, then, after waiting for a moment, dives under the snow or scatters it with her paws, trying to grab her prey. The value of voles for the fox is so great that its population even directly depends on their numbers.

The common belief that foxes feed on hares is not entirely true. They are usually neglected by foxes due to their size difference, although there are examples when they actually hunt rabbits and eat the corpses of adult hares. Foxes large sizes may also prey on roe deer cubs. A fox will not pass by a bird that is on the ground, it can even feast on a large bird like a capercaillie, ruin a nest with eggs or eat chicks. The statement that the fox eats chickens and other poultry is not entirely true either. Of course, if she settled near the dwelling, then she would not fail to raid the chicken coop, but she would not do this as often as it is commonly thought - mainly during periods of feeding foxes. However, this danger can be minimized by taking certain safety measures in relation to your hens. A much more terrible enemy for chickens is the marten.

The further south the habitat of the fox, the more sophisticated and unusual its diet. In deserts and semi-desert areas, the fox feeds on various reptiles. Living near rivers (particularly in Canada), foxes feed on dead salmon. In summer, insects - beetles and grasshoppers - fall into the sphere of her gastronomic preferences. Finally, the same plants that we mentioned at the beginning, and their fruits, fruits and berries are part of the fox menu in the south.

As for representatives of other fox species, they basically eat the same as the common fox. Differences in food are dictated by the habitat and are more cognitive than fundamental, representing a change in the proportion of certain foods. We will talk about these features now.

1. The menu of the American corsac consists of rodents, rabbits, birds that nest on the ground, small reptiles and fruits. In winter, he will not pass by carrion, and in summer - by insects (beetles, grasshoppers and locusts), which can make up to half of his entire diet.
2. the Afghan fox is more herbivorous than other species. In addition to the desert and semi-desert flora and plants of the mountainous areas, where it mainly lives, the fox also feeds on insects, not excluding locusts, and small rodents. She also regales herself with gourds - in those areas where they are grown, she can be found quite often.
3. the African fox is the most herbivorous of all foxes, also prefers berries and fruits. Occasionally, she can diversify her lunch with rodents, lizards and invertebrates.
4. the Bengal fox eats small animals, insects, reptiles, beetles, bird eggs, and only occasionally fruits.
5. the gastronomic interests of the corsac (steppe fox) coincide with the preferences of the common fox, so for each other they are food competitors and enemies. The only difference in their menu is that occasionally the corsac can hunt ground squirrels, hedgehogs and hares - both adults and cubs - and that it is almost not interested in plants and fruits.
6. the sand fox eats pretty much the same food as the afghan fox.
7. the main role in the diet of the Tibetan fox is played by pikas - small animals that look like hamsters. In addition to them, she also feeds on other animals related to them - hares, rodents - as well as birds that nest on the ground and their eggs. May also eat berries, insects and small reptiles.
8. fennec fox living in the deserts of the northern and central parts African continent, - one of the most omnivorous representatives of foxes. A significant part of the food - and these are small animals, eggs, various insects, locusts, carrion, fruits and roots of plants - he has to dig up. Large ears make it easier for him to get food, capable of picking up the smallest rustle that is made by his potential victims.
9. to omnivorous species also includes the South African fox, which feeds on small animals and fruits.
10. the arctic fox, which is also called the polar fox, is also omnivorous due to its range. His behavior can serve as an excellent illustration of the saying "Hunger is not an aunt, she will not serve a pie." At the heart of its diet, as in many species, are rodents - most often lemmings - and birds. In addition, it actively feeds on fish - both caught on its own and washed ashore - and almost all types of scarce northern vegetation- berries, herbs, even algae. A large share of its menu is made up of carrion and animals caught in traps, including their own relatives. Arctic fox can often be seen accompanying polar bears - he picks up the meat of dead seals that they have not eaten. Sometimes he even preys on baby reindeer.
11. gray fox ( tree fox), which is often found in the North American forest, feeds on various forest rodents, birds, insects, sometimes chickens. She is also supportive of plant foods and will not miss the opportunity to ruin a squirrel or bird's nest due to the fact that she climbs trees very well.
12. the island fox, living in only one place - on the six Chenep Islands off the coast of Southern California - eats what can be found there: insects, fruits, small animals, reptiles, birds and their eggs. It is interesting that in nature there are six subspecies of the island fox - exactly according to the number of islands - and that each island has only its own subspecies inherent in this particular island.
13. the diet of mikong, found in South America, is affected by seasonality, so it is almost the most diverse. Maikong eats everything they can offer him. surrounding flora and fauna: rodents and marsupials (mole and opossum), reptiles, birds, fish, turtle eggs, insects, crabs, carrion, berries. Sometimes he even kidnaps chickens and domestic ducks.
14. almost nothing is known about the diet of the little fox that lives in the South American forest, since it leads secret life, which contributes to its color. One can only assume that her menu consists of plant foods and some small inhabitants of the forest.
15. Andean fox (culpeo) mainly eats traditionally - rodents, birds, lizards, hares, rabbits and pikas. Interestingly, only occasionally does she allow herself to eat carrion or some kind of plant food.
16. the menu of the South American fox, like mikong, is influenced by the change of seasons. In spring and summer it feeds on rodents, occasionally on rabbits and birds, in autumn it switches to fruits, seeds and berries. It is interesting that in some places of its range (and it is distributed throughout the south of the South American continent), the fox, on the contrary, prefers European rabbits, birds and their eggs, also eats scorpions, reptiles. In winter, carrion, rodents and armadillos become almost the main source of food in its menu. If a fox of this species lives near a settlement, it can eat and poultry.
17. Darwin's fox prefers to eat insects, small mammals, birds, amphibians, berries and carrion.
18. The food of the Paraguayan fox is almost no different from that of the Maikong and, in addition, includes hares, scorpions, armadillos and snails.
19. The Brazilian (aka gray-haired) fox is insectivorous and feeds on termites and grasshoppers, but rodents can also be found in its diet.
20. The Securan fox mainly consumes plant foods, but can also diversify its breakfast with grasshoppers, mice, carrion, scorpions, fruits, poultry and guinea pigs, and even its small size does not stop the fox from hunting the last two.
21. the big-eared fox (motlozi, sechuan) is perhaps the least diverse in its diet, but at the same time, in comparison with the diet of other foxes, it is the most unexpected. Insects (termites, beetles and locusts) and their larvae occupy the main place in its menu, and less than one tenth of the total diet is accounted for by lizards, rodents and bird eggs. Occasionally, she can afford to eat something vegetable. It is also known that the big-eared fox has a sweet tooth and loves honey and sweet fruits and fruits. The addiction to them comes to the point that if they are in abundance, then she can eat them more often than her favorite insects.

Conclusion

As can be seen from all of the above, the fox remains a predator in any corner of the globe, even if it eats insects and fruits. Therefore, the question of whether a fox is dangerous for a hare can be answered as follows: it all depends on where the hare has to live. If - in the forest, then an ordinary fox can pass by it; if in the steppe, then the corsac will not fail to dine with them.