10 Intriguing Fox Facts

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fox facts
19 Jun, 2024

Foxes are dog-sized, omnivorous mammals with flat skulls, triangular ears, and bushy tails. They inhabit every continent except Antarctica.

Did you know that foxes can change their fur color? This is just one of many fascinating fox facts that are less known. To gain a better understanding of their lives, let’s delve into some surprising facts about foxes and discover what makes them unique among mammals.

10 Intriguing Fox Facts

1: Foxes Are Typically Solitary Creatures

Foxes are standoffish animals that prefer a solitary lifestyle. They establish territories and defend them against other foxes. Foxes are even known to hunt and sleep alone. 

Typically, foxes live alone or in small family groups known as a “skulk,” which usually includes the mother fox and about six cubs. It’s worth mentioning that foxes socialize with other foxes only during the breeding season.

2: Foxes Can Produce More Than 40 Different Sounds

A surprising fox fact is that they can produce around 40 distinct sounds. These include a scream-like howl, the vixen’s scream, an alarm bark, a fox cry, a fox howl, and the well-known “gekkering.” Gekkering is a continuous guttural chattering sound commonly made during conflicts with other foxes. 

Foxes, mainly red foxes, known for their territorial behavior, create these loud chattering sounds when defending their territory against intruders. Depending on the situation, they can adjust their sounds too high or low pitches.

3: Foxes’ Fur Color Changes With Seasons

Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) have a remarkable ability to adjust their coat to temperature changes. As the snow melts, their coat transitions from white to muddy brown, black, or red. As winter ends, they shed their thick white fur, and a thinner grayish-brown coat appears. This color change helps them blend with their environment, providing camouflage against threats. 

Furthermore, Coastal populations of Arctic foxes in Alaska and Canada exhibit significant changes in fur color, such as brownish-gray during summer and frosty white during winter.

4: Foxes Have Incredible Hearing Abilities

Foxes can hear low-frequency sounds, rodents digging miles underground, and a watch ticking 40 yards away.

With two mobile ears (auricles or pinnae), foxes can catch and redirect sound into their ear canals. They can move their ears independently toward the source of sounds. Red foxes can also rotate their ears about 150 degrees in opposite directions (right ear clockwise, left ear counterclockwise). This ability helps them detect sounds from the sides and behind.

5: Female Foxes Are Known as Vixens

Male foxes are known by several names, such as Tods and Reynards, while female foxes are identified as ‘Vixens.’  A vixen can give birth to a litter of 2 to 12 babies. Interestingly, “vixen” is a term with a modern Southern English dialectal pronunciation featuring a “v” sound instead of “f.” In American English, it is pronounced as “Fixen.”

6: The Red Fox Is the Most Common Fox

The Red fox is the most prominent among all other fox species, boasting approximately 47 subspecies. It is predominantly found in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in Asia and Europe, with its origin rooted in Eurasia. Renowned for its adaptability, the Red fox can quickly adjust to changing environments. 

7: Foxes Are Excellent Night Time Predators

Yes, one of the fox facts is their proficiency as nocturnal hunters. They are equipped with specially designed eyes that facilitate excellent night vision. The tapetum lucidum layer, located behind the light-sensitive cells of their eyes, reflects light, thereby intensifying their vision in low-light conditions. This exceptional ability enables them to catch their prey even in the darkness of night effectively. As nocturnal beings, foxes remain active during nighttime, using their keen senses to navigate and hunt in the dark.

8: Foxes Reproduce Once a Year

Typically, the reproductive cycle of foxes is geared towards breeding once a year, primarily in March or April. Male foxes and vixens (female foxes) initiate communication through barking calls in January or early February to signal their readiness to pair up. The gestation period lasts approximately 49-58 days (red foxes gestate for 52 days), after which a vixen gives birth to a litter of 4-6 cubs.

9: Baby Foxes Are Unable To See When They Are Born

Fox pups are born blind and remain so for the first nine days of their lives. Additionally, they are unable to hear or walk during this initial period. They depend entirely on their parents for care and survival. Typically, fox pups live with their parents until they reach around seven months of age. During this time, they stay in the den with the vixen while the male fox ventures out to collect food.

10: Foxes Stink

Foxes indeed have a distinct odor that can sometimes be described as musty and sickly. This smell is primarily caused by the anal glands located below their tail. These glands secrete a watery-yellowish fluid, contributing to the pungent scent. Additionally, foxes possess other glands, such as the supra caudal or violet gland and sebaceous glands, which also contribute to the unique odor of their bodies.

Conclusion

Foxes are solitary omnivorous animals that can hear a watch ticking 40 yards away. They don’t like humans around them and attack whenever they are doubtful about their safety. The aforementioned fox facts make us aware of how intriguing these animals are. From their solitary lifestyle and ability to change fur color to producing around 40 distinct sounds and reproducing only once a year, every aspect of foxes’ lives is captivating.

FAQs

What are 10 interesting facts about foxes?

1. Foxes are typically solitary creatures.
2. Foxes can produce more than 40 different sounds.
3. Their fur color changes with the seasons.
4. Foxes have incredible hearing abilities.
5. Female foxes are known as vixens.
6. The red fox is the most common fox.
7. Foxes are excellent night time predators.
8. Foxes reproduce once a year.
9. Baby foxes are unable to see when they are born.
10. Foxes Stink.

How far can foxes hear?

Foxes have a strong hearing. They can hear the sound of a watch ticking 40 yards away and the digging sound of rodents miles underground.

What are the cool abilities of foxes?

Foxes can change their fur color according to the changing season. They possess incredible hearing ability and strong night vision, which makes them nocturnal hunters. Furthermore, foxes are capable of producing 40 different sounds.

How high can a fox jump?

A fox can jump up to a height of three to six feet.

How long does a fox live?

The average lifespan of a fox in the wild in one to three years. However, some may live up to ten years.

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