Red Fox

The red fox sometimes referred to as the common fox, or by the archaic term goupil is a species of carnivorous mammal belonging to the Canidae family. It is one of the most widespread carnivorous mammal species in the world. It is a medium-sized animal, recognizable by its reddish fur—often with white markings on the belly and throat—as well as its pointed muzzle, erect ears, and bushy tail. The male is slightly larger than the female.

RED FOX

Habitat

The red fox is found throughout Europe (with the exception of Iceland), as well as in North America, Asia, North Africa, and Australia. Although it prefers wooded regions interspersed with meadows and cultivated fields, the fox is capable of adapting to virtually any environment. It can be encountered anywhere from coastal dunes to the suburbs of major cities. In metropolitan France, it is present from the coast to the mountains, reaching altitudes of approximately 2,500 meters. The red fox is highly territorial—a social concept involving the defense of a specific area, which generally corresponds to the territory the fox utilizes to meet its needs.

Regime - Diet

Its diet varies according to the region and the season. The fox is an opportunist with an omnivorous diet, even though it belongs to the order Carnivora. On average, it consumes the equivalent of 600 kcal per day—roughly 300 to 600 g of food—though during periods of scarcity, it can subsist on as little as 50 kcal a day. The red fox has a small stomach relative to its body size, necessitating frequent meals; it spends about a third of its time hunting.

The Hunt

Unlike many canids that hunt in packs, the red fox sets out in search of food alone. It hunts early in the morning, before sunrise, and late in the evening. In winter, it may also hunt during the day, when rodents are active. It possesses exceptional hearing—one of the keenest in the animal kingdom—capable of detecting the faint squeak of a mouse or vole hidden beneath the snow or underground, even from several tens of meters away. When hunting small rodents, it employs a very specific technique known as "mousing" (or *mulotage* in French).
This technique involves leaping into the air and landing on the prey—typically a rodent—with its front paws held together. During the harvest season, once fields have been mown, prey becomes much easier to spot. The fox uses its highly sensitive hearing to pinpoint its victim. It then springs into the air and lands precisely on the prey, pinning it down with its front paws.

Reproduction

The red fox reaches sexual maturity at around ten months of age. Both males and females are typically monogamous. The breeding season primarily occurs between mid-January and mid-February. Pairs form at the beginning of winter, whereas for the rest of the year, males and females hunt alone. During this period, males travel long distances in search of females, locating them by their calls and the scent marks they leave behind. Males frequently compete for a female; they may fight while circling one another in opposite directions, or face each other with their paws placed on their opponent’s shoulders and their jaws agape. During this time, males and females also engage in playful, mock-fighting scuffles.

Births occur between March and May, following a gestation period of 51 to 53 days. They take place in a den, which the fox rarely digs itself; instead, it typically occupies a burrow previously used by a badger, wild rabbit, or marmot, or utilizes a natural cavity among rocks or tree stumps. The den consists of several chambers and is oriented toward the south. It generally features multiple exits and is situated in a sufficiently secure location to allow the fox cubs to emerge safely. It is also usually located near a water source. On average, each female gives birth to four to six young. Fox cubs are born blind and deaf, with a dark coat and a white tip on their tail.

During the first three weeks, the diet of fox cubs consists almost exclusively of their mother's milk. At 18 days old, their first teeth—the canines—begin to emerge, followed by the incisors and then the premolars. The cubs then start to consume solid food: initially, this is food regurgitated by the mother, but from the age of three weeks, it consists of pieces of meat that she brings to them. Their growth is very rapid during these first few weeks of life. The fox cubs make their first forays outside the den at four weeks of age.

Protection

The fox is also classified as an "ESOD" (a species capable of causing damage) in 88 French departments. This means that it can be culled year-round by private individuals, or through organized administrative hunts at the request of a mayor or prefect. Consequently, more than half a million foxes are killed in France every year through various forms of hunting.

It is also hunted for its fur, for sport, and because of the damage it causes to small livestock; furthermore, the fox is a vector for rabies and alveolar echinococcosis—though an anti-rabies vaccination campaign quickly succeeded in eradicating rabies from Western Europe.

Useful role of the fox

Although hunting them is now prohibited in almost all other Western European countries, foxes are a valuable ally to farmers. Each year, a single fox can catch up to 6,000 small rodents—such as voles—that destroy crops; in doing so, they help avoid the use of expensive, environmentally harmful toxic substances. Scientific studies have shown that a decline in fox populations facilitates the spread of diseases transmitted by ticks found on their prey (voles, field mice, squirrels, etc.), including Lyme disease, the incidence of which is rising in France.

Cry

Red foxes possess a fairly wide range of vocalizations. Their calls are known as yelps or yaps; a fox is said to "yelp" or "yap," and it may also bark—producing rapid barks—or emit various types of howls. A 2008 study identified twelve distinct types of vocalizations in adults and eight in young foxes. These sounds are used for communication between individuals and can be divided into two categories: friendly calls and those used during conflicts.

Species sheet