The World is Just Awesome: Vulpes Vulpes; The Red Fox

Adult Red Fox

I love foxes.

I wrote my first 'book' when I was in grade 8. It was called 'foxheart' and I got about 40,000 words in before I gave up. I have it collecting dust around here somewhere...Foxes have always captivated me. Last year, I went for a walk in my yard around sunset. In the back 4 acres, I had been kneeling down to look at some particularly purple nettle-flowers when I looked up and saw a dog-fox not 50 feet away. He was large, and his fur was an amazing shimmery red-gold. I could see his pupils. I've seen a lot of foxes, but this one was large; easily twice the size of my largest cat. We both just stood there for 5 minutes while we took each other in before he loped off and was quickly lost to sight.

Like I said, I love foxes, and I'm hoping that I can have another such encounter soon.

The red fox, or Vulpes Vulpes, is a small-dog like mammal found throughout Europe and North America and Asia, as well as Northern Africa. Because of their recognizable traits and wide-spread habitat, many times they are just referred to as 'the fox.' Male foxes are slightly larger than females. Sizes vary somewhat between individuals and geographic locations—those in the north tend to be bigger. Adult foxes weigh between 3.6 and 6.8 kg and range in length from 90 to 112 cm, of which about one-third is tail. Their tales are long and bushy and -insert lisp here- FABULOUS.

Contrary to popular belief, not all red foxes are red. Many of them are brownish, and the colours vary according to geographic locations. These include brown, silver, red, orange, black, and grey. Many have black feet/legs and a white tip on the end of their tails. Fox eyes tend to be golden.

Silver Fox

Oppurtunistic eaters, foxes are omnivourous and will eat everything from mice and small rodents, rabbits, cats, to berries. Roadkill and human garbage are also free for the picking. They primarily feed on invertabrates such as insects and crayfish, and have also been known to eat birds and reptiles.

Fox temperament and behaviour is vastly different due to geographic locations. No two fox populations are the same. Some hunt during the day, most at twilight, with many becoming nocturnal in area's of human development. It is a solitary animal and a solitary hunter, forming a mostly-monogamous relationship with a vixen (female fox) each year. The vixen gives birth to a liter of 4-6 kits, also known as pups, who leave the den upon achieving maturity in 8-10 months.

Historically, foxes have held both positive and negative positions with humans. The Japanese revered the fox, and stories of fox-maidens, or 'kitsune' were popular. In popular fiction, the fox is seen as a wily and conniving trickster, a little brother to the native american trickster coyote figure. They feature prominently in many fictional and children stories, such as Reynard the fox and Aesop's fables.

Japanese Kitsune

Many farmers used to see foxes as chicken-poachers and pests to be elimnated. While foxes will carry of the occasional chicken and lamb, farmers now tend to now see them as beneficial as well, feeding on the pests that can destroy harvests and get into grainaries. Fox hunts are particularly popular in England, when a bunch of fancy-pants on horses run a fox to the ground and have it torn to shreds by a bunch of exhausted hounds while their horses break their legs. Fun for everyone except the animals involved. Yay.

Fox furs are also very popular, with silver fox fur being used for linings, cuffs and collars and with red fur more commonly used for full-fur garments. In the time of traders, a single fox fur was worth up to 40 beaver pelts.

'Vulpix' and 'Ninetales', based on kitsune, are also admired by pokemon lovers and anime buffs everywhere.