Red fox

The red fox is the most common fox in the world and also the biggest.

Name

The word fox comes from old English, which takes the term from early Germanic languages. The Dutch call them vos and another old language (west Frisian) uses foks. All of these names refer to the fox’s bushy tail.

In Welsh, they are called llwynog (bushy) and in Hindi ‘pū̃ch’ (tail).

Features

Foxes have long, thin bodies and a very long tail. It is over half the length of the rest of their body.

Red foxes fur depends on where they are, in colder climates it is soft, long, and thick, but in warm places, it is short and coarse.

Family life

Foxes are born as part of a litter and stay at home in the den (burrow) with their mum while the dad gets them food. After a few weeks, the dad will leave and the kits (baby foxes) will be fed by mum. They stay at home and play while mum hunts for food. This is how they learn different skills.

Food

Foxes live everywhere so their diet depends on where they live. They are omnivores, so they will eat animals and plants. In cities, they do a lot of scavenging for human scraps. 

One behaviour that helps them hunt is called mousing. They stand very still and wait for a mouse or small creature to get close, then they leap up into the air and land on the animal.

Foxes are also known to eat lots of worms.

Human relations

Red foxes are not endangered at all. They used to be hunted for their fur, but this is not very common in Europe.