Red fox - sister, cheat, Patrikeevna. What do foxes eat Wild animal fox
Elizaveta Patrikeevna, the fox Alice, the fox-sister ... As soon as they affectionately call this cunning beast in folk tales. Today in our article there is a fox animal, description, photo and video about this amazing red forest dweller.
Red fox (common fox)
The fox is the main character in many fairy tales, she is always referred to as a cunning thief, with a beautiful “fur coat” and a fluffy tail. Why is a fox called a cunning? Is she really like that, or only in fairy tales?
The red fox belongs to the Canine family. She has pointed ears and an elongated muzzle. And this beast has an unusually beautiful long-haired fur and a long fluffy tail, which serves as a "blanket" for the front paws and nose at a time when the fox is resting.
The size of this animal is average: the length of the body is not more than 90 centimeters, and the tail is from 40 to 60 cm. The animal weighs from 6 to 10 kilograms. The age to which a fox lives in the wild is no more than 7 years.
In the red fox, the tip of the tail is painted white, and the paws have black blotches.
In nature at common fox meet different colors wool, but on farms where foxes are bred, there are representatives of platinum color and silver-black. Such rare colors are valued among hunters, so if a fox that escaped from a fur farm gets into the hunter's field of vision, he will not stop until he catches it.
Red fox habitat
This species of fox lives on almost the entire planet, except, perhaps, arctic tundra and islands. The red fox can be found throughout the Eurasian continent, in North America, Northern part of the African continent and even in Australia.
Foxes are excellent swimmers. By the way, they can even dive shallow, hunting for fish. What does a red fox eat
The fox is a predatory animal, so a variety of small animals can get to it on the "dining table". Basically, these are rodents. Also, foxes eat birds, fish (on spawning rivers), carrion, insects and berries.
The ways of hunting the fox are very interesting, it can adapt to the habits of any animal that it has “looked after” as food. For example, she can push a hedgehog directly into the water so that it turns around, and it can be grabbed by the abdomen, which does not have needles. When there is a hunt for wild geese, then the foxes prefer to act in pairs: one distracts the flock, the other sneaks up at this time and attacks the prey in one jump. And she easily digs out rodents from under the snow, finding a place by sound. Still, it’s not for nothing that foxes are known as cunning animals - what kind of ways they don’t invent to get their own food!
Fox "mouse" - hunts for a mouse under a layer of snow Hunting takes place around the clock, although the most successful time is twilight.
In general, the fox can be called an omnivore. Its "menu" includes almost 400 species of various animals and dozens of types of plant foods. The scientists concluded that the population of red foxes directly depends on the number of rodents (especially field mice), since mice are the main fox food.
Listen to the voice of the fox
Many people know foxes as kidnappers poultry. Very often, the fox sneaks into the place where the chickens sleep and steals them. Although birds are not considered the main food of the red fox, the animal still often eats them. In addition to chickens, the fox loves the meat of capercaillie, geese and other birds.
Foxes living in the deserts have to be content with the meat of reptiles. If there is a shallow river with fish nearby, then the fox will certainly come there to feast on, for example, salmon. AT summer months the animal eats beetles and other insects.
Plant foods are of little interest to foxes, but in the absence of meat food, the fox will be happy with fruits and berries, as well as any greenery.
Reproduction and offspring
The period of birth of puppies (the so-called fox cubs) is mainly considered to be the middle of spring. To breed, foxes dig a deep hole, but sometimes they can take someone else's. Usually one female gives birth to four to six cubs. Pregnancy lasts from 44 to 58 days. After birth, the mother feeds the offspring with milk for about 1.5 months. When the cubs are 2 years old, they are already fully grown adults. The matured cubs of the fox are fed with live prey, the foxes themselves kill the "food".
The fox is one of the most beautiful predatory animals. She has a graceful elongated body, slender legs, long fluffy tail. Head with pointed muzzle and large erect ears.
Common fox photo.
The fox is about the size of a small dog. body length adult is from 60 to 90 cm, the length of the tail is from 40 to 60 cm. The weight of the fox usually does not exceed 10 kg. Foxes living in northern latitudes, often larger than their southern cousins.
The fur of the fox is long and fluffy, for the most part colored red. belly more often white color, less often - black. How lives to the north fox, the brighter its color. Sometimes in nature there are foxes with an unusual color - black-brown, white. During the year, foxes molt twice, changing their fur either for winter - thick and long, then for summer - rare and short.
Spreading
The habitat of the common fox is very wide. It is found in Europe and Asia, North America and North Africa. Foxes live in different landscapes - in forests and steppes, in deserts and tundra, in mountains and on flat terrain. But still they prefer open spaces with copses and ravines.
Fox in the forest photo.
Lifestyle
Foxes live in pairs or families. They usually lead sedentary life, occupy a site on which they hunt and arrange a dwelling for themselves for the night and breeding. In deserts and tundras, where long distances have to be covered in search of food, foxes migrate from one place to another.
Foxes dig deep holes in the ground with narrow passages and a wide nesting chamber. They usually make their burrows on the slopes of ravines or hills, protected by dense grass and shrubs. Often, not one, but two or even more passages lead to the nesting chamber. This allows foxes to run away from pursuers in case of danger.
Fox with cubs near the hole photo.
The fox is a very cautious and intelligent animal, she easily leaves the chase, skillfully confusing the tracks and resorting to all sorts of tricks. The fox has a good sense of smell and hearing, thanks to which it easily detects its prey. The fox is able to make sounds reminiscent of the yapping barking of a dog.
Nutrition Features
Foxes are predators, so their main diet consists of animal food. Foxes prey on both small animals (voles, mice, hamsters) and larger ones (hares and roe deer cubs). On occasion, the fox will not refuse to catch a bird or a chick, it can willingly eat eggs from a nest found in the grass. With a lack of food, the fox can eat carrion.
Most often, voles, small mouse-like rodents, become prey for foxes. Usually they make up the main menu of foxes, especially in winter, when food is scarce and very difficult to get. In winter, the fox has developed its own way of hunting for small rodents, which is called mouse. This method consists in the fact that the fox listens to the rustles and sounds under the snow, and when he hears the squeak of a vole, he quickly jumps headlong into the snow, tears it apart with his paws and tries to catch the rodent.
Fox hunting photo.
Sometimes foxes drag poultry from the yards - geese or chickens, but this does not happen too often.
AT warm time foxes supplement their diet with plant foods - berries, herbs, fruits.
fox breeding
Foxes usually breed once a year. To that important event animals are prepared in advance - even in winter. Foxes find suitable places for holes and guard them from others.
Several males can take care of one female at once. They often fight among themselves, seeking the favor of the female.
The male chosen by the female becomes a good family man. He takes care of the female, helps her to improve the hole, and when the foxes appear, he participates in their upbringing.
A fox's pregnancy lasts from 49 to 58 days. After that, from 4 to 13 fox cubs are born. Cubs are born blind and deaf, but at the age of two weeks they begin to see and hear, by the same time their teeth erupt.
Fox cubs photo.
The fox feeds the cubs with milk for a month and a half. Gradually, fox cubs are accustomed to ordinary adult food. To do this, foxes have to hunt a lot to bring prey home.
If something happens to the fox father and he dies, then some other fox who has no offspring takes over his care. He takes care of both the female and the cubs.
When the cubs grow up, their parents take them hunting with them and teach them how to get food. By autumn, the cubs become independent and leave the parental hole.
Brief information about the fox.
Gorgeous - Red fox
Today the fox is not very desirable hunting trophy, like some 50 years ago, when the fashion for fox hats and sheepskin coats significantly reduced the livestock of this small predator in the expanses of the then USSR. However, many modern hunters are happy to go to the fox. Moreover, hunting for this agricultural pest is allowed all year round, no licenses are required. There is only one minus: the fox is only valuable fur and no meat. Although there is one more minus, but we will dwell on it further.
Today, the fox is not very desirable, as it was some 50 years ago, when the fashion for fox hats and sheepskin coats significantly reduced the population of this small predator in the vastness of the then USSR. However, many modern hunters enjoy . Moreover, hunting for this agricultural pest is allowed all year round, no licenses are required. There is only one minus: the fox is only valuable fur and no meat. Although there is one more minus, but we will dwell on it further.
There is a lot of information about it, including on our website. But we want to supplement it with the stories of one old fox hunter with more than 40 years of hunting experience. But first, a little about the fox.
Biological features of foxes
Our habitual Vulpes vulpes) shallow predatory mammal, belongs to the order of canids. This is the most common species of the numerous fox genus.
In general, there are more than 50 subspecies of them and several smaller forms such as the long-eared Fennec fox or exotic flying fruit bats. And we also need to remember a completely unique small big-eared African fox, which looks like a fennec fox, but differs from all other canines in the presence of 48 teeth against 42 in all other representatives of this detachment.
Everyone also knows that far north foxes live - white polar foxes. Quite numerous is also a subspecies of black foxes, which we know as silver foxes. They live mainly in Siberia.
In general, foxes are distributed throughout the world - from arctic zones all continents of the Northern Hemisphere to most of Asia and all of northern Africa. The size and color of local subspecies depends on the conditions of the region of residence and the availability of food. The further north foxes live, the larger and lighter they are, and the fur is thicker and longer. The distribution of foxes is quite uniform in all zones. At the same time, these cunning animals with a high degree adaptability well settled down not only in wild nature but also in cultivated landscapes.
And in recent times they are increasingly found on the outskirts of large cities, where the beast finds enough food and does not have any natural enemies here.
The number of foxes fluctuates from year to year and it depends on some factors - the presence of rodents, outbreaks infectious diseases and weather. In hungry and frosty years, not only the fertility of females falls, but also from born puppies fewer survive. But most often, such fairly common diseases as rabies, plague and scabies sharply reduce the number of the beast.
Fox rabies
This is a separate topic and exactly the second minus that we mentioned at the beginning of the article.
These animals most often suffer from this terrible disease, since the carriers of rabies - rodents are their main food. An infected fox is very dangerous for livestock, for dogs and cats, and for humans. A hunter who shoots a fox with suspected rabies should be extremely careful not to touch the carcass and be sure to notify the veterinary service.
The signs of rabies are as follows: all wild animals become very excited, tireless, and lose fear of man. But foxes often behave quite the opposite. They also cease to be afraid of people, but they do not show aggression, but on the contrary, they become affectionate, run up to people, climb into the yard and even the house. Many decide to shelter such a wonderful animal and become infected with rabies. An attempt to skin an infected animal also ends sadly. In more late stages foxes also become extremely aggressive, they have wild thirst and rabies at the same time, saliva flows, and their behavior is inadequate. A small sick predator can rush to, wolves, elks, cows, bulls, infecting them. As well as on an unsuspecting person who accidentally passes by. Therefore, it is always allowed.
At the slightest suspicion of rabies, you should immediately go to the hospital - in the first days after infection, a person is cured. And then the disease passes into an uncontrolled and incurable stage and ends in a painful death.
Habitats and habits of foxes
For the most part, these animals lead a sedentary lifestyle and are not characterized by migration, except perhaps within the zone of settled life. Most of all, foxes of the tundra, deserts and mountain subspecies travel. Young animals rarely go to independent life further 20-30 km from the parental lair. And most often keep within 5 km.
The animal always prefers open areas, as well as places with separate groves, ravines and hills, copses. Remarkably, in the wooded areas of these animals are much smaller than in the forest-steppe and steppe zones.
Each family has its own plot, on which. Most often on their own, but may also occupy the burrows of marmots and other burrowing animals. They like to settle on the slopes of hills, ravines, in places where holes will not be flooded either during river floods or rain and groundwater. The burrow always has several entrances, through which animals make their way through rather long tunnels into a spacious nesting chamber. In it, animals constantly keep only during the education of puppies, and the rest of the time they prefer open dens.
A frightened fox walks straight and open, but a frightened one will rush about or run away at a gallop, stretching its tail to a string.
When the chain of tracks goes in a straight line - the predator went hunting and is looking for a prey. If the track is even, but a step is felt, the animal is full and goes to rest. Of the senses, hearing and smell are the most developed. Foxes have very poor eyesight, and cases are often mentioned when they safely come very close to a motionless sitting person. They can go hunting at any time of the day, very carefully, they can amazingly hide almost out of the blue and knock the chase off the trail.
fox diet
As you know, foxes are classified as predators, although in reality they are. In her diet - almost 400 species of animals, including amphibians and reptiles, fish and birds - whichever they catch, eggs, insects and worms. But, also several dozen species of plants, including fruits, berries, aquatic plants young stems of sedge, water chestnut and others.
You can not make noise and move - no animal will come out.
You even need to choose carefully - it should not be rustling and creaking.
All communications with the breeder and neighbors are only at the beginning of the paddock and only in whispers or gestures.
It's better to stand on the room than to sit. This allows you to quickly respond to the unexpected appearance of the beast.
By the way, in most cases, the fox never comes out of where it is expected. You should always be prepared for the fact that the target will appear from a completely unexpected direction and not at the angle that the shooter expects.
AT dense forest shoot the fox better. Two or three is quite enough to aim the beast at a distance of up to 30 meters. But, most often you have to shoot with more close range and large shot damages the trophy very much, especially valuable fur.
Foxes and dogs
It has always been believed that foxes and dogs are complete antipodes. However, in last years, the situation has changed a bit. A person actively settles in the favorite habitats of these predators, dacha cooperatives are growing, landscapes are being transferred to agricultural use, and foxes are forced to adapt to new conditions. They do it quite successfully and, as we have already mentioned, they even got used to the suburbs, landfills. Stray dogs also live there. It turns out that these two species live in overlapping niches in the anthropogenic landscape. On the one hand, this causes competition between them, on the other hand, puppies often grow up together and become very close. This leads to the fact that foxes no longer react to dogs as a danger. Although, dogs are quite aggressive with these predators.
Regarding fox hunting with dogs, this situation greatly facilitates it. do not lose their innate instincts, and will do their job properly. But foxes, accustomed to stray dogs, may initially behave more carelessly, which will play into the hands of the hunter. From the secrets of hunting with dogs - a raised fox always makes the first three circles small in diameter - about 20 meters around its hole, on the fourth it goes much further - 50-70 meters. Therefore, the hunter has the ability to calculate where it will appear and be ready to shoot.
Dog - best helper on a fox hunt
As we said, except for the period of raising young foxes, foxes prefer open dens in order to control the situation around. AT winter time in the footsteps you can find your favorite places to lie down, and if you try, then. You need to do this like this - having found traces, find out in which direction the predator went - and immediately determine the direction of the wind.
It is necessary to approach the place of a possible lair only from the leeward side and with extreme caution.
If the animal learns something, it will immediately leave. If you see a lying fox, carefully observe its reaction. As soon as he raises his head, listening, he must immediately stop and not move until the beast calms down and lies down again. Then in stock there are a few more minutes to approach closer. The optimal distance for a shot is 25-30 meters, at this distance you can clearly see the ears and color of the beast. At the same time, the fox must first be raised - so the damage to the fur will be less. And it's unsportsmanlike to shoot a sleeping animal.
If you saw a mouse fox - it's luck. As a rule, she is so passionate about this activity that she loses her guard. Taking advantage of the moment, one should try to get as close as possible, freezing at those moments when the predator looks back.
The red fox or common fox is the largest representative of the fox genus from the Canine family. The animal has an elongated muzzle, a fluffy long tail, which the fox uses as a warm blanket to cover its nose and front paws during rest.
The tail can reach sixty centimeters in length. The wool of the fluffy fox is long and beautiful, and also very warm. Depending on the habitat, the color and tone saturation of the fur may vary, but basically the back and sides of the foxes are bright red, and the belly is white.
On the paws, characteristic black stockings or blotches are clearly visible. But the main hallmark The red fox has a course white tail tip and pointed black ears.
The paws of the fox are quite powerful and muscular, despite the fact that they are a bit short. Thanks to them and a powerful tail, the fox makes very decent jumps in pursuit of prey.
These qualities enable the fox to be in no way inferior to many predators in the struggle for life.
Foxes, which are bred in captivity on fur farms, come in an unusual platinum and silver-black color.
If a fox with a fur coat of this color manages to escape and catch the eye of the hunters, it becomes the object of instant persecution, because. fox skins of this color are highly valued.
Where does the red fox live?
The red fox lives almost everywhere on the planet: in Europe, Asia, North America, North Africa, Australia, with the exception of the Tundra and the islands.
In Europe alone, the vast population of the red fox includes more than fifteen subspecies.
Foxes are able to adapt to any climatic conditions.
What does a fox eat and who does it hunt?
The red fox is a predator, so its diet is appropriate: small animals, rodents, hares, ruin the nests of capercaillie and geese, hunt roe deer cubs, do not disdain carrion, various insects and beetles.
Well, domestic chickens and chickens, when the fox manages to get into the chicken coop, become tasty prey.
The most interesting thing is that foxes often exterminate various cereals, in particular oats, when there is no way to get to anything meat, and cause significant damage to agricultural crops.
It’s not for nothing that the fox is called cunning, she has a huge amount of different ways hunting and catching prey.
The fox simply pushes the hedgehog into the water so that it opens up and can be grabbed by the stomach, where there are no needles. Mice, ground squirrels and other rodents are easily identified by sound and dug out from under the snow in winter. In general, mice are a well-known fox delicacy, and in some regions the population of common faces depends directly on the number of rodents.
Foxes hunt geese in pairs, while one fox distracts a gaping goose, the second swiftly attacks prey.
The fox is able to adapt to the habits of any animal she has planned for dinner.
Foxes hunt around the clock, when prey is found, but of course, night is the main time for fishing.
When a fox walks in the snow, it puts its hind legs strictly in the footprint of the front ones, forming a kind of chain.
Foxes that live near rivers are happy to eat fish, often caught during spawning or in shallow water.
In total, the diet of the red fox includes about four hundred species of animals and several dozen species of plants.
Foxes living in the desert are content with the meat of various snakes and lizards.
How the red fox reproduces and has offspring
Cubs of the common fox are born in most cases in mid-spring. When foxes plan to have offspring, they dig a deep hole, although if they find it ready, they immediately occupy it.
As a rule, a female fox gives birth to from four to twelve puppies, as the cubs are also called. The fox's gestation period lasts from six to eight weeks, and after the foxes are born, the red-haired mother feeds them with milk for a month and a half.
Little fox cubs look like wolf cubs, they can only be distinguished by the white tip of the tail. The cubs fully mature by the age of two and, becoming adults, begin to hunt and kill prey on their own.
Red foxes develop stable married couples and the male takes a direct part in the upbringing of offspring.
Red fox enemies
Of course, the main fighters of the red fox were and are hunters who, for the sake of beautiful and expensive fur, exterminate a huge number of foxes, which has an irreversible impact on the population of these beautiful animals in many regions.
And in the forest, the fox competes for prey and, of course, is at enmity with wolves and other large animals.
In many photos, the fox appears with a sly muzzle, which is completely true.
Where is the fox's home
For life, foxes build a lair on open space, in the grass or in the snow. A fox either digs a hole itself or can evict some animal, a polar fox or a badger.
The burrow has several entrances with underground manholes for possible escape in case of danger. The old fox has several holes in various places where she takes refuge in case of impending danger.
fox photo
Winter is a harsh time of the year. The ground is covered with a blanket of snow, which creates additional difficulties for predators living in the forest. In summer, you can diversify your diet with plant foods. In winter, this option is not available. Getting something out of the snow is incredibly difficult, if not impossible. As for the fox, its winter diet does not change much. It also contains rodents, birds, small animals.
The fox manages to get the same rodents right from under the snow. She is able to hear their squeak at a distance of up to 250 meters. Her hearing is excellent. She hears the same black grouse jumping from branch to branch, being up to a kilometer away from him. So it is not difficult for her to find a cluster of mice under the snow.
The fox is an incredibly skilled hunter. She moves quietly across the snowy field, carefully listening to the sounds coming from under the snow. Hearing a squeak, she freezes, determines its source and location. This is followed by a jump, diving into the thickness of the snow, and catching a rodent. Such a hunt is almost always successful. A fox emerges from the snow with a rodent in its mouth. Help her extraordinary dexterity, speed and sensitivity. Although, in fairness, it should be noted that mice also have excellent hearing. They hear everything that happens from above. And if the fox shows carelessness, then her hunt will be unsuccessful. The mouse will simply slip away from it, using the emergency course, dug under the snow.
However, the fox can be prevented not only by her personal negligence, but also by too thick a layer of snow. In this case, her mouse is unlikely to be successful. With a snow thickness of more than forty centimeters, foxes live from hand to mouth. You can break the snow with your paws, but in this case, the mice will run away from this place, using underground passages. We have to look for carrion, although it is difficult to find it.
In the spring the situation is no better. The snow is covered with a thick ice crust, and you can no longer dive head first into it. Yes, and walking on such a flooring will not work silently. We have to switch from mouse to catching hares. The best option is to find immature rabbits that cannot run fast and become easy prey for a predator.
To catch up with a fleeing hare, the fox uses not only its legs, but also its tail. In this case, it plays the role of a stabilizer, repeating all the movements of the prey and allowing the predator to maneuver.
If there are no hares, then you can catch a bird. The fact that a fox can hear a black grouse at a great distance, we have already said. If a bird spends the night not on a tree, but in a snowdrift, then for a predator it becomes an easy prey. The main thing, remaining unnoticed, is to get close to the victim as close as possible.
After the bird is caught and the hunger is satisfied, you can think about the stock. Everything that has not been eaten is hidden in a secluded place. In a difficult hungry time, a predator can always come back here and satisfy his hunger. A fox can have quite a few such hiding places. Surprisingly, she always remembers their location and never forgets. In hiding places, she can hide birds, rodents, chickens and ducks. And it does this, starting in late autumn. Thanks to frosty weather, such stocks are perfectly stored and do not deteriorate.