If you follow me on Instagram (@wildknifephoto) then you know that we spent the month of #Foxtober enjoying one of my favourite critters the red fox. I have literally thousands of images of foxes in my library and sometimes I forget that I have only shared a fraction of them!
Foxes share many characteristics with cats. Their eyes have the same vertical pupil as cats which help them focus light for hunting; they see nearly as well as cats in the dark. They hunt small prey like mice, birds, and rabbits, the same way a cat might stalk or pounce on a mouse.
The fox leap is something I’ve seen my cat do a number of times and I’m always struck by the similarity. Foxes have a great sense of smell and hearing and can track a rodent hidden well under the snow. They use their front paws to break through the hard crust after pinpointing the location of their prey.
Foxes, like cats, are solitary animals. They don’t travel in packs like their cousins the coyotes or wolves but stick to small family groups called “leashes” or “skulks” when they are raising their kits.
Like the cat, the fox has sensitive whiskers and spines on its tongue to remove flesh from bones and help tear apart meat. They even groom themselves with their tongue — just like a cat. And foxes are the only member of the dog family that can climb trees — gray foxes have claws that allow them to climb up and down trees quickly.
The red fox is the most common of all fox species and is found on every continent except Antarctica. In Australia, the red fox is considered an invasive species. In 1855 Europeans introduced the red fox down under for recreational hunting. By the early 1870s, fox populations were well established in the wild Within 100 years, the fox had spread across most of the continent and is now a target for eradication.
One of the most interesting things I learned recently is that human-fox relationships go WAY back. In 2011, researchers opened a grave in a 16,500-year-old cemetery in Jordan and discovered the remains of a man and his pet fox. This was 4000 years before the first-known human and domestic dog were buried together. The first known burial site containing a human and a cat was discovered in a grave unearthed in Cypres that scientists believe dated to 9,500 years ago.
Well. I learned a lot about foxes this week. I’m sure these curious creatures have many more secrets to share. I hope you enjoyed this week’s story. Thank you for stopping by and we’ll see you again next week.