Where Red Foxes Live

Perhaps you've seen a red fox in your neighborhood. You may have noticed its beautiful long bushy tail or its intelligent face. Red foxes can live in forests or in open country. But they usually live on the edges of woods and on farmlands. Lately, more and more red foxes have moved near towns and cities. No one knows exactly why.

Red foxes are found naturally on the continents of North American, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Red foxes also live in Australia, but humans brought them there.

What Red Foxes Eat

Red foxes will eat almost anything they can find! They eat the remains of dead animals. And they catch and eat small animals such as mice, frogs, gophers, lizards, rabbits insects, worms, squirrels, and birds. Red foxes also eat birds' eggs, berries, fruits, and grasses.

Red foxes have good night vision. They usually hunt for food in the dark. Red foxes also have a sharp sense of hearing. They can hear a gopher moving underground. They can even hear an earthworm rubbing against the grass. A fox can pinpoint a worm's location and pull it right out of the earth! Red foxes also have a keen sense of smell. In cities, red foxes can smell garbage cans and garbage dumps. When they find them, they have a feast.

Some scientists report that red foxes do tricks to help them catch their prey -- the animal they want to eat. When near a group of rabbits or a flock of birds, a fox may do somersaults, bounce up and down, or chase its tail in a circle. All the while, the fox is moving closer to the prey. While watching the fox, the prey forgets the danger until it is too late.

Fascinating Facts About Red Foxes

Red foxes are quiet animals. But they can make noises similar to the noises dogs make. Red foxes can bark, cry, growl, howl, whine, yap, squeal, and scream. A fox makes noise when it is trying to attract another fox's attention. Mother foxes also use sounds to "talk" to their young, called cubs. A wheezing bark, for example, means that the mother wants the cubs to hide. A low growl means that the mother wants the cubs to stop playing with her tail.

Copyright 1993, Frank Schaffer Publications, Inc.