Fox is a predatory mammal animal, is the most common foxes in the world. The size of the animal is not above average, more closely resemble a small dog.
Relate to the family “Canidae” or, as they call it – “dog”.
Exterior features
As mentioned above, Fox is a medium-sized, quite fuzzy and proportional. The total size of the species varies depending on habitat, the closer to the North, the more and Vice versa. Most often, the color of the Fox is black-brown, which creates additional opportunities for masking.
The most common type of color in foxes is considered to be the white area of the belly, bright red hair on the back, there may be darker brown stripes on back and sides. As a General distinctive features of the species is considered to be the presence of the white tip on the tail and dark, sometimes black color of the legs. Red foxes are most commonly found in nature.
The torso of the foxes as the face, are graceful and elongated, the legs thin, ears large and sharp. The ears of a Fox is designed to capture the most subtle sound waves, thanks to this structure, an animal to hunt successfully even at the most quiet game. Since November, the animal acquires a thick fur, designed to protect from the cold. Summer fur is much more rare and less beautiful, in addition, in the summer time, it may acquire a darker shade. The very color of the Fox is very much dependent on their habitats, for example, the closer to South the more dark and dull colours can be coat of representatives of this species.
As well as, was spotted and red foxes, which resulted in many more research towards the study of this species. It was establishedthat the red foxes are nothing like ordinary foxes, their hair got red tint under the influence of various factors, such as nutrition or the environment. In addition, red foxes are sometimes vying with red for the title of the first beauty of the steppe.
Habitats of Lis
This animal due to its characteristics of both the body and the internal structure is quite common, largely to occupy such a large territory the Fox helped the people. The red Fox is found in almost all countries of Europe and Asia, in addition it can be found even in Algeria. And thanks to the Australians fighting with rabbits red cheat penetrated into the territory of Australia, but it can be found in the southern part of the continent.
Because of its adaptability, foxes can inhabit virtually all landscape-geographical zones ranging from tundra to mountain ranges and subtropical forests. But still prefer the habitat of a Fox there. Most of the animals chooses to place of residence large areas of steppe with the presence of small forests. This choice is due to a small and loose snow cover in winter. Foxes mainly prey on small rodents, e.g., mice.
The lifestyle and behavior of the animal
Fox is not typical of sedentary, large-scale transition from the field to the place of the dealing types and couples living in unfavorable climate areas, for example, tundra or deserts. While the pairs themselves do not move, leave their homes with only their children. Distance between occupied habitat in this case can be up to 30 kilometers.
Foxes rarely live in families, and often this is due to the lack of territory. These animals use as a dwelling burrows which they dig, and in some cases they may occupy abandoned burrows of other animals of medium size, for example, foxes. Often place for the future hole, this type chooses the slopes of hills and ravines. This creates a security of such places and a lot of food around the habitat.
Building a Fox-hole can be varied, often Nora has multiple inputs and only one room, in fact, the top. Often the choice of Lis into the various cracks, holes and other natural hiding places. Regardless of how big was the hole, it is used only for the period of breeding and the offspring grew up, they themselves foxes do not lead a sedentary lifestyle and often are only temporary shelters, but each pair has a specific area of habitat and the scope for which they do not go without a special need.
There are times when a Fox quietly coexists in the same hole with a badger, but for living together, they use different corridors and rooms. Housing foxes very often hidden in dense thickets of shrubbery or grass that allows you to avoid attention from enemies.
How many lives of the Fox?
- The life of a Fox in natural conditions does not exceed 7 years, but in recent time due to significant environmental degradation, it decreased to 3.
- In captivity Fox feels quite comfortable and can live up to 25 years.
The behavior of foxes is largely dependent on circumstances – it often happens that foxes are curious but not aggressive. In addition foxes are very bad distinguish colors, unlike sound. There were occasions when Fox came close to the man and carefully examined it, is blindness not a hindrance. Foxes are very careful before to hide behind a hill or in a hole on daytime sleep they can in the few minutes still have to explore the area.
Hunt red Fox prefers the evening or early in the morning, however, does not shrink and night. Man Fox is rarely afraid, especially if he is not armed attack is not in a hurry, looking around and slake their curiosity.
Foxes tend to settle near places of human habitation. There are many recorded cases when the Fox settled near the tourist trails or basevery quickly get used to humans. In addition, animals will quickly adapt so that you start to become impudent and beg for food, quite undeterred by his savagery or the presence of a large number of people.
Reproduction red Fox
This species is monogamous, that means a choice of only one partner for life. Reproduction occurs once a year, but few wild birds can perform this item.
The possibility of the offspring of a Fox depends on many factors ranging from the amount of food and fatness of the animal, ending with the weather conditions. Very often there are females that can’t bring new offspring for several years.
Parenting Fox performs quite well, it does not leave in the lurch their offspring, carefully watching him and growing up to the age of young but already fully formed individuals. Males and females divided their obligations in half, except that the male should care about its second half. After the death of one of the parents takes his place outside the individual is the same gender as the deceased.
The diet of foxes
- Though Fox and is referred to the standard carnivores, but its diet is sufficiently rich and varied. Foxes eat a huge number of small and medium-sized animals, numbering about four hundred. In addition, to maintain the processes of digestion the Fox can eat up to 20 different species of plants. The main food are small rodents mostly from the group of voles, they are pretty easy to hunt, especially with those ears like a Fox.
A sufficient number of mice directly affects the ability to multiply and survive the foxes. Especially important population of voles in a habitat is in the winter, hunting a Fox on mice this period is called the main item on the. The main item on the be described in simple words something like this: the Fox, hearing a rodent under the snow, listens, jumps on the spot and begins to rake the snow.
As mentioned above, rodents – the main food of foxes, larger mammals, e.g., rabbits have virtually no role in their diet. Particularly large specimens of species that can attack young ROE deer, and quite successfully. It should be noted that even though other animals in the food is not as important, but the predator never miss the chance to catch a bird or any other fresh meat. In some cases, such as the sea hare, reported cases of food foxes are scavengers and carrion, but this is quite rare. And also you can see the statistics examples assignment foxes that prey that is not theirs, but this is also the exception rather than the rule.
Pets foxes
More than half a century ago D. K. Belyaev conducted an experiment on the domestication of foxes, silver-black in color. For the experiment we selected a very good-natured and gullible individuals who are very well responsive to man and his presence. In the experiment, was placed a kind of “domestic” foxes.
From the creators of “room” individuals differ both physically and behavior. Frequent differences become modified form of the ears, jaw and tail in domestic animals is deteriorating very meh. This experiment was conducted solely in order to study foxes, and not to fully domesticate them.
Fox red is a good example of how an animal with a great ability to adapt, due to the fact that it belongs to the family “Canidae” they have produced a considerable affection for the man.
