Red fox

(Vulpes vulpes)

Distribution/habitat

The habitat of the red fox spans from north of the polar circle until almost all the way to the tropics and is thus the biggest of all feral predators. Thanks to its ability to adapt, you can now find this original forest dweller from the coast all the way to the highlands and even in settlement areas. Description/characteristics The body size of the fox without its bushy tail varies between 40 and 70 cm, with the female being somewhat smaller than the male. The coat, as the name reveals, is mainly reddish. Only the areas on the throat and chest as well as the tip of the tail are coloured white, while the lower part of the legs and the backside of the pointy, upright ears are black.

Special features

The fox is mainly crepuscular and nocturnal and thus has very good vision, hearing and sense of smell. With the whiskers on its snout it can sense even the smallest movement. It needs all these sensory organs in order to track down its prey at dark (e.g. mice, birds, insects). But vegetable nourishment also plays an important role with this omnivore. During the day it sleeps in burrows which it digs itself or takes over from the badger, in which its puppies are also born.

Endangerment/protection

The worldwide population of red fox, despite legal hunting in many countries, is currently not considered as endangered.

Literature

DIERSCHKE, V., GMINDER, A., HECKER, F., HENSEL, W. & SPOHN, M. (2016): Der Kosmos Tier- & Pflanzenführer. – Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart: 541 pp.