# data[].attributes.body
Addie

# data[].attributes.headline
Kens (my daughter, who gave her permission to share :)

# data[].attributes.subject
Kens (my daughter, who gave her permission to share :)

# data[].attributes.body
The red fox also eats amphibians or even garbage!

# data[].attributes.body
"Red foxes can be found throughout the continental United States from Alaska to Florida. The smallest population is in the Southwest, where it is very rare to see a red fox. Red foxes like open areas in woodlands, rural and suburban neighborhoods, wetlands, and brushy fields."
https://www.nwf.org/educational-resources/wildlife-guide/mammals/red-fox

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Status: Not Listed

Description

Red foxes have long snouts and red fur across the face, back, sides, and tail. Their throat, chin, and belly are grayish-white. Red foxes have black feet and black-tipped ears that are large and pointy. One of the most noticeable characteristics of the red fox is the fluffy white-tipped tail. Red foxes are about three feet long and two feet tall.

Red foxes are often confused with gray foxes, which share a similar habitat and range. This can make identification difficult, because some red foxes can have large patches of gray fur and gray foxes have patches of red fur. Gray foxes are somewhat smaller and have a slightly more rounded face and shorter snout. The surefire way to tell the difference is to look for the color at the tip of the tail. Gray foxes have black-tipped tails, while red fox tails are white. Although they are very similar in name and appearance, the gray fox and the red fox are only distant cousins, belonging to different genera in the family Canidae.

Range

Red foxes can be found throughout the continental United States from Alaska to Florida. The smallest population is in the Southwest, where it is very rare to see a red fox. Red foxes like open areas in woodlands, rural and suburban neighborhoods, wetlands, and brushy fields.

Diet

Red foxes prefer rodents and rabbits, but they will also eat birds, amphibians, and fruit. Red foxes will also steal food from garbage cans or farms. Their ability to find food, even during the winter, is one reason why red foxes have a reputation for being cunning and smart.

Life History

Red foxes mate in winter. Right after mating, a female builds a den. Females can deliver anywhere between one and 12 pups per litter. Pups are born brown or gray, usually turning red within about a month. Both parents take care of their offspring until the next fall, when the young foxes set out on their own.

Conservation

Red foxes have adapted well to suburban and rural communities. While other large predators have been pushed away from human development, red foxes took advantage of the changed habitat. They live in parks and woodland edges, and red foxes will readily eat whatever is available. Red foxes are solitary, so it is easy for them to hide and escape people.

Fun Fact

Red foxes have excellent hearing. They can hear low-frequency sounds and rodents digging underground.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vulpes vulpes Status: Not Listed Description Red foxes have long snouts and red fur across the face, back, sides, and tail. Their throat, chin, and belly are grayish-white. Red foxes have black feet and black-tipped ears that are large and pointy. One of the most noticeable characteristics of the red fox is the fluffy white-tipped tail.

# data[].attributes.body
Recorder

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Petkeen is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commision.

Compared to humans, foxes grow up fast. While it takes years for a human to be able to learn basic self-survival skills, foxes learn everything they need to know in about a year. Granted, it's a very busy and eventful year. But in that time, a fox will go from being a cub that's entirely reliant on its mother and can't even open its eyes, to a fully grown predator that's ready to produce some cubs of its own.

Everything Starts in Spring

For foxes, life begins in the spring. The highest concentration of foxes are born in March in the northern hemisphere or September in the southern hemisphere; right at the beginning of the spring season.

Baby foxes are called pups, kits or cubs and when they're first born, they are tiny! They weigh about ¼-pound and are approximately 4 inches long, covered in short black fur. They're also completely helpless. At this stage, a baby fox can't even open its eyes. They're entirely reliant on the adults, and will only consume their mother's milk for the first 4 weeks.

Early Feeding

The newborn cubs rely on the mother's milk for nourishment until they reach a few weeks old. Once cubs can open their eyes, they'll start to explore the den. Once this happens, they'll start eating scraps of solid food brought back to the den by the male.

When Do Baby Foxes Leave The Den

Once the cubs become familiar with their surroundings within the den, they will become curious about the things that lie outside of their cozy home. However, cubs won't start to leave the den until they're more than a month old. Even still, they won't stray far, staying very close to the safety of the den.

What Does a Baby Fox Look like

Fresh fox pups are born without hair. They are a dark grey in skin tone and are usually blind and deaf. Their senses begin to develop after 2 weeks when they also start to sprout black fuzz. Soon after birth, they begin to molt their black fuzzy fur and a red coat grows in its place. The fox's face begins to mature and look more fox-like, with the ears and snout starting to grow longer. Cubs are now very active, playing with each other all the time and chewing on anything they can find.

12 Weeks & Beyond

Once the cubs reach 12 weeks of age, they're forced to start foraging for themselves. At first, they follow the adults to learn how. Sadly, many cubs die during this stage. But by 16-18 weeks of age, the surviving cubs are strong and able to feed themselves without any problem. However, manage to stay relatively close to the den for safety. It will be several months before they start exploring the entire area and venturing away from home.

When Do Baby Foxes Leave Their Mother

From this point, growth is rapid. By the time the cubs are six months old, they're very difficult to tell apart from the adults. After one full year, they are no longer considered infants, and these baby foxes can leave their mother and begin a life of their very own. When winter rolls around, the cubs are mature and ready to breed. They will mate during the winter months, then find a suitable den in which to birth a new litter of cubs. Then, the process starts all over again with new young, which will follow the same patterns their parents did.

Conclusion

A fox's growth stages are all compressed into one event-filled year. They start the year with their eyes closed, unable to fend for themselves in any way. By the end of that first year, they're fully-grown adults, ready to create a new litter of their own cubs. They'll mate in the winter and the cycle repeats in the spring. Unfortunately, less than half of all foxes make it through this first year to reach maturity, which is why there are 3-7 foxes per litter on average.
Related Fox Reads:
Feature Image Credit: Torsten Reuter, Shutterstock

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fox Cubs 101: Growth Stages, Feeding, & Care | Pet Keen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Petkeen is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commision. Compared to humans, foxes grow up fast. While it takes years for a human to be able to learn basic self-survival skills, foxes learn everything they need to know in about a year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All About Foxes for Kids: Animal Videos for Children - FreeSchool