THE RED FOXVulpes Vulpes

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONThe red fox is a thin animal, with short legs. Its tail, which

is large and bushy, accounts for over half its body length. Its eyes are oval, and vertically oriented. Their ears are fairly large. Their skulls are narrow and elongated, with small braincases, and they have large canines. Their muzzles are slenderer than most other canines.

Red foxes are 14-20 inches tall at the shoulder, and about 18-35 inches long, 13-21 inches of this being tail. Red fox weight 4.9-31lbs, with females weighing in at 15%-20% less than the average males. A fox weighs far less than a dog of comparable size. HABITAT

The red fox inhabits the entire northern hemisphere, only absent in Iceland, some parts of Siberia, extreme deserts, and the artic islands. The red fox has also successfully become an apex predator, except on the island of Tasmania, where they were outcompeted by the Tasmanian devil. The red fox is a “prohibited new organism” according to the hazardous substances and new organisms act of 1996, making them illegal to import. BREEDING

Red foxes mate once a year, usually in spring. Their Oestrus period lasts for three weeks, during which the tods (male foxes), breed with the vixens. Mating is often done more than once. Because of their unique canine reproduction system, in which the male and female are inseparable for up to an hour

after mating, mating is often done in burrows underground. Litter sizes usually form of 4-6 kits, though on occasion as many as 13 kits are born in a single litter. Kits are born blind, deaf, and toothless, with a coat of fluffy brown fur. For the first 2-3 weeks, the mother must remain with them, as they cannot control their body temperature. Their eyes open at 13-15 days. Foxes reach adult size and leave, or dig further into the burrow, at 6-7 months. DIET

The red fox is omnivorous. Creatures of opportunity, foxes are equally willing to scavenge and hunt. The red fox prefers to eat small rodents, such as mice and voles, though it also eats creatures such as rabbits, raccoons, small deer, small birds, insects, small reptiles, and fish. Plants in their diet include fruits, acorns, grasses, and tubers.

THE GREY FOXUrocyon cinereoargenteus

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONThe grey fox is slightly shorter than the red fox, with a total

body length of 30-40.4 inches, of which the tail accounts for 10.8-17.4 inches of that length. They weight 7.9-15lbs usually, but some larger specimens’ measure up to 20lbs.

The grey fox is nearly unique among the canids for its ability to climb, sharing this trait only with the Asian raccoon dog. Grey foxes, unlike other species of fox, have oval pupils. HABITAT

The grey fox lives almost exclusively in the southern United States, and some northern parts of Central America. BREEDING

The grey fox’s breeding season varies depending on the area that they live. Their gestation period is roughly 53 days. Litter sizes range from 1-7 kits, and the foxes stay with their parents until the next autumn after their birth, whereupon they reach sexual maturity and leave the nest. DIET

The Grey fox is omnivorous, and hunts alone. They prefer rodents and lagomorphs, but will eat other animals. Insects are also a staple. Fruit consists of an important part of their diet, and the grey fox generally eats more vegetable matter than the red fox. In some areas, the grey fox subsists almost entirely on plants and insects.

THE ARCTIC FOXVulpes Lagopus

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONThe artic fox is about 31-43 inches long. The tail is usually

about a foot long in males, with female’s tails ranging to one and a half feet. They weigh roughly 3.1-7.7lbs. They are 9.8-11.8 inches at the shoulder.

The artic fox’s fur is much thicker and longer than that of other species of fox. Their famous white coat is only worn in winter, in the summer they are a brownish, with white markings. HABITAT

As the name suggests, the Arctic fox dwells in the artic regions of the northern hemisphere. BREEDING

The artic fox breeding system stretches from early September to early may. The gestation period is 52 days. Litter sizes range from 5-8 kits, though sometimes this extends to as

many as 25, the largest in the canid group. Young foxes may spend the first few years of life in their parents den, helping raise new kits, before the females leave. Males stay with their family. DIET

Contrary to other foxes, the artic fox is almost entirely carnivorous. The only vegetable matter they eat are berries and seaweed. In matters of meat, the artic fox eats whatever it can find in its sparse arctic home. Lemmings are the main item in their diet, though they are also a large consumer of bird eggs. During April and May, they eat ringed seal pups.

THE FENNEC FOXVulpes Zerda

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONThe fennec fox is the smallest of the foxes; indeed, the

fennec is the smallest canid in the world. It weighs only 1.5-3.5lbs. It has a body length of 9-16 inches, with a tail of 7-12 inches.

The fennec’s most notable features are its ears. These large ears can measure up to 3.9-5.9 inches. The ears are highly sensitive, and also serve to dissipate heat, with their multitude of tiny blood vessels just below the skin. HABITAT

The fennec lives in northern Africa, BREEDING

Fennec’s breed between January and February, birthing young between March and July. Like other foxes, they mate once a year. After mating, the male aggressively protects the

female. Gestation ranges from 50-62 days. Litter sizes are small, only 1-4 kits. Their eyes open at 10 days.DIET

The fennec is an omnivore, eating whatever is available in its desert home, from small animals, to plants, and eggs. Their sensitive ears allow them to hunt prey underground. The fennec is amazingly able to live without drinking water, since its kidneys are adapted to restrict water loss, but it will drink water that is available.