We present to you 50 interesting facts about foxes.
Interesting fox facts
- The fox is a relatively large mammalian animal that belongs to the family of dogs.
- The fox genus consists of 10 species: common, Afghan, American, sandy, Tibetan and others. The most common are the Common Foxes or Red Foxes.
- They are found in European countries, most of Asia, North America, and North Africa, and relatively recently this species was acclimatized in Australia. Red Foxes and their subspecies are found almost everywhere. They cannot be found except in Arctic tundra and on some islands.
- Foxes cover a wide range of about 70 million square kilometers.
- Some of these species have also been brought to Australia. This has proved fatal for other mammals (and birds), such as koalas, marsupial ants, redheaded possum rats, Tasmanian possum rats, and normal possum rats. It is precise because these animals have been identified as the “100 most dangerous invasive species in the world”.
- Common foxes are classified as mammals of prey by the dog family. As a rule, representatives of the dog family have the same features concerning appearance: elongated head; pointed ears; skinny legs; long and fluffy tail.
- The fox is very beautiful, and also quite cunning. These features, transmitted on a genetic level, allowed this animal to live our days.
- The fox is common – this species is most often found in Russian forests, so it is not surprising that many folk tales, bylinas, and songs have been invented about this clever and cunning animal.
- Red Foxes, which can be found in Russian forests, have a medium-size body and a large fluffy tail. Colors and sizes may vary from one area to another where these animals live.
- The length of the fox body depends on the breed and ranges from 55 to 90 cm, while the tail is 60 cm. The wool on the chest, as well as the tip of a fluffy whitetail. The ears are pointed and have dark coloring on the backside.
- The smallest species of fox is a fennec, a funny desert animal with very big ears. The maximum weight of the animal does not exceed 1.5 kg, and its length barely reaches 40 centimeters.
- That’s an interesting way of hunting foxes. Sometimes these clever predators throw hedgehogs into the water so that they open up and there is an opportunity to grab them for a place unprotected by barbed needles.
- Sometimes in front of their “victims”, foxes can make a whole show. They show by a sight that they are not interested in hunting, and when the prey loses its vigilance, the foxes attack.
- The foxes’ most advanced senses are hearing and smell. With their help, the beast learns about the environment.
- Foxes have much in common with domestic cats. Both animals are most active at night and can easily navigate in the dark thanks to their excellent eyesight. The hunting technique is also very similar.
- The tail of a fox is not just an ornament, but an important organ. It helps to keep the animal in balance while running, and in winter they turn around to protect it from the cold.
- Foxes can produce claws with which they can climb trees, climb hills and buildings.
- Unlike relatives, wolves, jackals, dogs, foxes do not live in packs. For most of the year, they live and hunt alone, and only in summer do they have families and offspring.
- During the marriage period the animals dance a kind of dance called “fox foxtrot” – they rise on their hind legs and walk in front of each other for so long.
- When males are fighting for a female, it is not the big and strong one who wins, but the smart one.
- Foxes are blind at birth, eyes only open for 10-12 days. During this period, their teeth begin to erupt. Externally, newborn babies look more like wolves than foxes. They don’t weigh more than 150 grams at birth.
- Little foxes are very playful and restless, but when the mother calls them, they immediately stop playing and run to her.
- Foxes in pairs take care of their offspring, even though at all other times the beasts live alone. While the female lives in a hole with cubs, which can be from 1 to 11, the male preys on them. Foxes live with their parents for up to seven months.
- It’s not for nothing that foxes are called very smart animals. They have one interesting way to get rid of fleas. Foxes go deep into the water with a stick in their teeth, and the fleas move into this trap. After a while, the beast throws away the stick, and with it the pesky fleas.
- There are sensitive hairs on the face of the fox, and they also have a rough tongue.
- There is a bigger fox in Africa, which has excellent hearing not only because of its big ears. She uses it on the bat principle to hear where insects hide from far away. The animal feeds mainly on termites.
- American scientists have proven that foxes can use the Earth’s magnetic field for hunting. There is a ring structure in the eyes, which is likely to get darker when the animal looks north. Foxes attack at the moment when the victim is in this darkened area, as this is the best distance to attack.
- Scientists conducted an experiment in which they found that 72% of attacks made in the northeast direction were successful, while in the other direction the luck was only 18%.
- Foxes can reach speeds of up to 50 km per hour.
- Our country is home to three species of foxes: common, Afghan, and steppe foxes.
- Fox dens go from 0.5 to 2.5 meters deep. The main entrance is about 17 centimeters in diameter.
- Common foxes feed mainly on mice, which make up about 70% of the diet, while another 20% are wild hares. The rest is taken up by plant food, birds, insects, and worms. They eat berries, apples, some vegetables with pleasure.
- Foxes are considered a regulator of insects and rodents.
- Foxes are very playful, and easily interact not only with each other, but also with cats and dogs, and love to play with them.
- They also treat people well, and there are many cases of foxes living at home, behaving very friendly and obeying.
- There may be 2 to 8 foxes in one area.
- Foxes are very good at covering their tracks during the chase, and to mislead the enemy, they hide in several places. That’s why they’ve been named the most cunning beast.
- It is considered that the ancient man tried to domesticate a fox before the dog. This is confirmed by the tomb where the remains of the fox were found together with its owner. The age of the grave is 16,500 years.
- Another interesting fact about the fox is the possibility to make a lot of different sounds. Scientists have counted about 40 different sounds that these animals can make. For example, they can imitate dog barking.
- In Europe, foxes spread rabies, so countries vaccinate animals everywhere.
- The fox has the thickest and lousiest fur in winter, and its fluffy tail helps it from the cold. At the end of winter, she has a molting period, which lasts until summer.
- The foxes’ main enemies in nature are eagles and wolves. She attacks, but she doesn’t eat the lynx. Tigers are hunting for species that live in the Far East. Thanks to the cunning and ability to climb trees foxes are rarely caught in the clutches of enemies.
- In captivity, the animals can live to 20-25 years, and in the wild, their maximum age is 6-8 years.
- In Ancient Rome, foxes were considered fire demons.
- In Japan, the fox is a symbol of the art of transformation, and the white fox is considered a messenger of the god Inari.
- Foxes swim well and can hunt crayfish and fish in shallow waters.
- Foxes often settle near large cities or suburbs. Where they are very well adapted and settled in urban areas.
- The Arctic Foxes are not a species of foxes, but they are often called the Arctic Fox.
- There are also many species of animals living in different regions of the planet which, because of their external similarity, are also called foxes: grey, Maikong, Securan, Andean, Paraguayan, island, Bengali and others.
- Since childhood people have heard about fox tricks and this fact is not fiction – animals are really smart and smart, which helps them survive in nature.
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