{"id":14804,"date":"2022-04-02T08:00:05","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T06:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=256"},"modified":"2022-04-02T08:15:17","modified_gmt":"2022-04-02T06:15:17","slug":"understand-fox-behaviour","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/understand-fox-behaviour\/","title":{"rendered":"Understand fox behaviour"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Steve Harris\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 02 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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For much of the year, foxes are difficult to see in the wild. But when their cubs are born between May and July, they are vocal and more active during the day, hunting, playing or just relaxing in the sun.<\/p>\n

You may also hear them in mid-winter, when the vixens shriek at night-time during the breeding season.<\/p>\n

Here Stephen Harris and Ben Hoare describes some of the behaviour you are likely to see from red foxes.<\/p>\n

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How to identify if a fox is male or female<\/h2>\n

Dog foxes (males) and vixens (females) are hard to tell apart, though dogs are generally about one fifth heavier. The dogs also have broader, slightly more domed heads. During winter (when mating), the male\u2019s testes visibly protrude between his hindlegs, but these regress and are hard to see in summer.<\/p>\n

When lactating, the vixen\u2019s eight teats are obvious, and her belly fur is brick red (it\u2019s normally white or grey).\u00a0In late winter, the vixen digs out several potential breeding earths. In rural areas, these will be in banks, at woodland edges or under piles of sticks or drystone walls. In urban areas, they can also be in or under sheds and buildings.<\/p>\n

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It can be hard to tell whether a red fox is male or female. \u00a9 Dgwildlife\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Do foxes live alone or in groups?<\/h2>\n

Foxes live in social groups \u2013 three or four adults are quite common (though 10 were recorded in one Bristol group). These consist of equal numbers of dogs and vixens.<\/p>\n

Generally, only one vixen breeds, but occasionally up to three do. Cubs can be reared separately, but may also be pooled together in one large litter.<\/p>\n

Mid-March is the peak time for births. The average litter size is four or five, but eight is not uncommon. For the first few weeks, the vixen spends most of her time with the cubs and relies on the male to bring her food.<\/p>\n

There is no obvious sign as to which earth has been used for breeding until the cubs emerge at about four weeks old \u2013 usually late April or early May. Food remains then accumulate around and inside the earth.<\/p>\n

Unless disturbed, cubs stay in their natal earth until early June, though they may abandon it earlier in hot weather. From early June, they lie up above ground at rendez-vous sites in dense cover such as a bramble or thorn patch or in piles of rubbish.<\/p>\n

When do foxes mate?<\/h2>\n

On January and February nights you may be woken by alarming blood\u00a0curdling screams \u2013 a sign that the fox mating season is here again. The shrieking is usually vixens in heat (they\u2019re only receptive for 20 days), but you should also listen out for the \u2018hup-hup-hup\u2019 triple-barks of dog foxes, or males.<\/p>\n

Though foxes\u00a0can be vocal year-round, they\u2019re far more so now and the calls seem to travel farther at night in the still winter air.\u00a0Dog foxes roam widely to locate females to mate with, often straying outside their\u00a0familiar home ranges \u2013 sadly, you might notice an increase in roadkill at this time of year.<\/p>\n

Wandering foxes are also less likely to visit places where they are accustomed to being fed, so your garden may well feel strangely fox-free for a while.\u00a0When a dog fox finds a receptive vixen,\u00a0he will stay close by \u2013 if you spot a pair of foxes in January, this is probably the explanation. Also look out for aggressive encounters between rival dog foxes.<\/p>\n

Here are the four main types of behaviour you may encounter:<\/p>

1<\/span>

Fighting<\/h3>\n<\/div>

In the mating season you may see rival males chase each other, make open-mouth threat displays or rear up to fight. At other times scuffles tend to involve cubs (May to July) or fully grown young and adults (September to November).<\/p>\n

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Two male foxes fighting. \u00a9 Stuart Jackson Carter<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n
2<\/span>

Shadowing<\/h3>\n<\/div>

Males trail receptive females to ensure they don\u2019t miss their partner\u2019s brief window of peak receptivity, which can last just 72 hours.<\/p>\n

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A male and a female fox together. \u00a9 Stuart Jackson Carter<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n
3<\/span>

Nuzzling<\/h3>\n<\/div>

As the female\u2019s oestrus (ovulation date) nears, the male may nuzzle or groom her. He often also lifts his tail high in excitement.<\/p>\n

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A male fox nuzzling a female fox. \u00a9 Stuart Jackson Carter<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n
4<\/span>

Coupling<\/h3>\n<\/div>

After the male\u2019s initial approaches are rebuffed, mating takes place several times. It can be hasty,\u00a0or the pair may lock for half an hour or more.<\/p>\n

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Foxes mating. \u00a9 Stuart Jackson Carter<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

How quickly do fox cubs grow?<\/h2>\n

Newborn fox cubs are blind, deaf, dark-grey in colour and weigh about 120g.<\/p>\n

After 14 days, their eyes open. Their pupils are slate-blue. Guard hairs appear, giving cubs a fuzzy appearance. They have small, floppy ears and weigh about 350g.<\/p>\n

After four weeks, the cub\u2019s pupils are grey flecked with brown. The muzzle starts to lengthen. White fur appears around the mouth and patches of red on the face.\u00a0The coat is still woolly, but the ears are now erect.<\/p>\n

After eight weeks, the pupils become amber-coloured and the cub\u2019s face approaches adult proportions. Its fur is largely adult colour but still looks woolly<\/p>\n

Throughout the summer, cubs are very similar to adults but have thinner coats and a lankier appearance. They become indistinguishable from the adults by late September or early October, once their winter coats are fully grown.<\/p>\n

From late September, the family group breaks up and some or all of the cubs disperse.<\/p>\n

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Wild fox cub. \u00a9 Diana Grant\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What do fox cubs eat?<\/h2>\n

Cubs are suckled for the first four weeks, then progressively weaned until seven weeks old (though they are occasionally still suckling at 14 weeks).<\/p>\n

They hunt earthworms and insects as soon as they emerge from their earth (at four weeks), but these form only a very small proportion of their diet.<\/p>\n

Both dogs and vixens provision their cubs, who beg for food by rushing over excitedly. They hold their bodies low to the ground, wag their tails rapidly, nuzzle the adult\u2019s mouth and whine. Adults bring back larger mammals and birds for the cubs, but they themselves feed more on small prey such as mice and voles.<\/p>\n

Cubs are cautious until they start foraging for themselves.<\/p>\n

In gardens, they may hide in flowerbeds while the adults collect food. Youngsters have high energy-needs \u2013 adults caring for a litter can look very thin.\u00a0Cubs fight over access to food. They arch their backs, raise their hackles and hold their heads low while making high-pitched \u2018kek-kek-kekking\u2019 noises. Tugs-of-war help to break open carcasses \u2013 the cubs\u2019 teeth are too weak to tackle intact prey.<\/p>\n

Cubs start to forage for themselves in July. Thereafter, they compete with adults for food, who may push them off a kill. They tend to go for easy-to-catch prey such as insects and earthworms while slowly developing their hunting skills.<\/p>\n

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\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A small red fox cub photographed in a studio. \u00a9 Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Are some foxes more dominant than others?<\/h2>\n

There is a strict dominance hierarchy within social groups.\u00a0A subordinate approaches a dominant with its body held low. It often crouches or even wriggles on its back at the feet of the dominant animal in a puppy-like appeasement gesture.<\/p>\n

Cubs start to establish a dominance hierarchy even before they emerge from their earth, when fights are particularly vicious. About 20 per cent of cubs die underground, often as a result of spats with siblings.\u00a0Dead cubs are generally consumed by littermates.\u00a0Hierarchy is largely established within seven or eight weeks, and thereafter serious fights are rare.<\/p>\n

Dominant cubs have preferential access to food and thus grow much faster. In larger litters, dominant cubs may look four weeks older than subordinates, often leading to the mistaken impression of two pooled litters.\u00a0Dominant cubs also receive more social grooming from adults, are more strongly integrated into the social group and less likely to disperse in autumn.<\/p>\n

As cubs get older, they fight by standing on their hindlegs and placing their forelegs on their opponent\u2019s chest. They try to push each other over in a trial of strength. The loser is often chased and may be badly bitten on the rump or base of the tail.<\/p>\n

Tension increases as summer progresses because October marks the onset of dispersal, when fox families start to break up.<\/p>\n

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\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A pair of adult red foxes fighting. \u00a9 Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Foxes often fight by standing on their hind legs, forefeet on each other\u2019s shoulders or chests, with heads back and mouths open.\u00a0This can be ritualised, with the ears erect, or serious, with the ears held against the side of the head.<\/p>\n

Bites on the face or neck are rarely severe, but one to a front foot can be serious, because it may cause a cub to limp, reducing its ability to compete with its littermates for food.<\/p>\n

Even worse, a bite on the foot may become infected, which can prove fatal.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Red foxes with rabbit prey. \u00a9 Federico Gemma<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

What is body slamming?<\/h3>\n

Foxes also \u2018body slam\u2019 opponents off food: a dominant cub will rush towards a subordinate that is eating, slam its rump into its rival and knock it out of the way.\u00a0It is less dramatic than fighting, but equally successful in the battle for supremacy.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The fox cub on the left is being \u2018body slammed\u2019 off a kill by its more dominant sibling. \u00a9 Federico Gemma<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Foxes reach their adult size by autumn, and their size at this time determines their fate as an adult.<\/p>\n

Bigger vixens usually stay at home, while bigger dog foxes generally disperse and find new territories.<\/p>\n

Larger dog foxes have larger ranges and sire more cubs. So it is hardly surprising that fox cubs spend so much of the summer squabbling over food.<\/p>\n

Main image: Urban fox visiting a garden \u00a9 DGWildlife\/Getty<\/em><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n

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By Steve Harris Published: Saturday, 02 April 2022 at 12:00 am For much of the year, foxes are difficult to see in the wild. But when their cubs are born between May and July, they are vocal and more active during the day, hunting, playing or just relaxing in the sun. You may also hear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":14805,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"9"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/04\/understand-fox-behaviour-scaled.jpg",2560,1777,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/04\/understand-fox-behaviour-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/04\/understand-fox-behaviour-300x208.jpg",300,208,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/04\/understand-fox-behaviour-768x533.jpg",768,533,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/04\/understand-fox-behaviour-1024x711.jpg",800,555,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/04\/understand-fox-behaviour-1536x1066.jpg",1536,1066,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/04\/understand-fox-behaviour-2048x1422.jpg",2048,1422,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Steve Harris Published: Saturday, 02 April 2022 at 12:00 am For much of the year, foxes are difficult to see in the wild. But when their cubs are born between May and July, they are vocal and more active during the day, hunting, playing or just relaxing in the sun. You may also hear…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/14804"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}