An adaptable and highly cunning species, foxes are as common in cities as they are on our rural canals. These bushy-tailed, orange animals are famed throughout fairy tales, folklore, and mythology.
Foxes are more visible in winter, as their bright fur stands out against the bare vegetation.
Fox facts
Scientific name: Vulpes vulpes
Family: Canidae
Diet: Small mammals, birds, invertebrates, fruits, and berries
Size: 62-72cm with a 40cm tail
Weight: 5-7kg
Lifespan: 2-3 years
About foxes
From Greek mythology and Chaucer to Arabic folklore, the fox is depicted as a wily creature. Even today, they get a bad rep as scavengers. But the red fox has evolved with us and adapted to the modern world better than almost any other wild animal.
Foxes are widespread throughout England and Wales. Even if you don’t catch sight of them, you’re likely to hear the vixen’s scream in winter. Males (dogs) make a barking noise.
Foxes and our canals
Foxes are the UK’s only wild dog and one of the only wildlife species that is perhaps more common on our urban canals than our rural ones. Although they’re primarily nocturnal, you’ll often see them foraging during the day or basking in the sunlight.
With orange-red fur and a bushy tail, foxes are easily identified. They have white undersides, black tips on their pointed ears, brown feet, and a white tip to their brush-like tail. Foxes are actually quite compact, typically smaller than the average domestic dog.
A bright orange fox with a bush tail, pointed ears, and a white belly runs through the snow.
What do foxes eat?
Foxes are not fussy when it comes to food. They’re opportunistic omnivores and expert hunters, eating anything from small mammals, birds, frogs, and worms to berries and fruit.
Rabbits and field voles are their preferred prey but, in our towns and cities, it’s not uncommon to see a fox sneak scraps from bins. Happy to survive on any available food, foxes are able to thrive in a range of different habitats.
How do foxes breed?
Foxes are social animals. Families consist of a dominant dog, a vixen, and a litter of cubs. Parents will mate in winter – and you can often hear their loud barking and screeching as they compete to attract a mate.
The female gives birth to around four or five cubs in the spring. These cubs enter the world without sight or hearing. Much like domestic puppies, they’re entirely dependent on their mother’s milk and both parents care for them.
Cubs start eating solid food after a month and are fully self-sufficient by autumn. Some cubs leave the family group to establish new territories. Those that stay will help raise the next year’s young. Foxes tend to have a short life, with few surviving more than three years.
Where do foxes live?
Foxes are widespread throughout England and Wales. Most foxes live in woodlands, farmlands, and wetland habitats. However, rural foxes tend to be shy compared to the bold urban animals that trot down city streets.
They’re hugely territorial creatures, living in burrow systems, called ‘earths’. They can live above ground, too, if they can find shelter. They use their urine to scent-mark their territory – the size of which will depend on food supply. Foxes also have scent glands on the bottom of their feet to mark trails.
Fox sightings in urban areas are quite common, but rural foxes are wary and harder to spot. You might, however, be able to track them.
Droppings: Foxes produce long, narrow droppings with a tapered end. They usually contain fur, feathers, bones, and seeds, and are darker in rural areas.
Prints: It’s easiest to see fox paw prints in mud and snow across woodlands and wetlands. Like dogs, foxes have one large pad with four toes and claws. However, fox prints are often narrower than dogs and sometimes look more similar to cat prints.
What noise does a fox make?
Known for their spine-chilling calls during the winter breeding season, foxes can make 28 different noises. But despite this, they’re largely quiet animals.
Males make a bark-like sound, not dissimilar to domestic dogs, to communicate and fend off rivals. The female’s scream is her signal that she’s ready to mate. Fox cubs can make a playful ‘ack-ack’ sound.
How common are black foxes?
Black foxes with black or grey coats (sometimes called silver foxes) are rare in the wild. However, it is possible to spot one. Black foxes likely descend from released or escaped foxes bred for the fur trade.
