SPECIES: RED FOX (VULPES VULPES)

Adaptations
Foxes have excellent senses of eyesight, hearing, and
smell.
Their sharp, pointed teeth are typical to carnivores and
help them to tear through meat.
The colors of the fox’s fur blend in with its surroundings
and allow it to camouflage wel..
Shelter and Space Needs
Although the Red Fox occupies many different habitats, it
seems to prefer to live in a mixture of forest and open
country. The normal territory of the fox ranges 1 to 2
miles from its burrow. The burrow itself is usually the
abandoned den of another animal, such as a rabbit or
woodchuck. Even though they have lost much of their
natural habitat, foxes have adapted remarkably to
cohabitation with humans.

Life Expectancy
Red Foxes in captivity can live up to 10 or 12 years, with a
maximum of 15. In the wild, their life expectancy is an
average of 3-5 years.
Description
The Red Fox has a reddish brown coat sprinkled with
light-tipped hairs. The chest and underside of the neck
are white. Distinguishing marks include black ears and
feet and a white-tipped tail.
Size
The Red Fox is 24 to 28 inches long, not including the tail,
which measures an additional 14-17 inches. Red Foxes
average 8-12 pounds in weight, but often appear heavier
than this due to their thick coats.
Diet
Foxes consume a variety of small animals, including
rabbits, mice, and birds. Although classified as carnivores
(meat-eaters), they will also eat a variety of plant
material such as berries and fruits. The fox’s diet changes
seasonally depending on what is available. The Red Fox
will hunt even if it is no longer hungry, and caches extra
food by burying it under leaves or dirt. At Cosley Zoo, the
foxes are fed a commercially prepared diet.
Reproduction
Red Foxes mate between January and March. The female
gives birth between March and April after a 51-day
gestation period. The 4 to 6 kits have closed eyes and
dark fur when they are born. The female cares for the
kits while the male provides them with food. They will
remain in the den for about a month and then they will
come to the entrance to play and feed. At this point, the
parents will bring back live prey, which is given to the kits
to teach them how to hunt. The youngsters leave their
parents in the fall to fend for themselves.

SUBMITTED BY:
HINA GULL
2017-DVME-021(6TH SEMESTER)