Interesting facts about foxes

Did you know?

FOXES are some of the most famous creatures living in our green and urban areas. But, as it turns out, they’re actually pretty misunderstood, too! How much do you know about the wily fox? Here are more than a few facts to help broaden your mind.

While foxes belong to the same family as dogs, they are actually a lot like cats when it comes to hunting. For example, you are likely to see a fox stalk its prey with a lot of poise and grace!

In fact, foxes have very similar eyes to cats — they have vertical pupils!

Foxes are covered in whiskers. These aren’t just for show, however — as they help as navigational aids. Foxes tend to know where they’re going!

The average fox can live up to around 14 years old, similar to most dogs. A fox can generally run quite fast — they are known to reach up to 48km per hour on average.

Foxes come in all kinds of colours and breeds. In fact, one of the most common is the red fox, though there are actually 280 variants of this type! They are commonly found across the United Kingdom and North America.

However, in Australia, foxes are seen as invasive. Australia has a very protective ecosystem thanks to its far removal from the rest of the world. Therefore, fox population growth is a no-no.

While dogs and wolves are very much pack animals, foxes buck the trend. Again, like cats, they are quite solitary. They will often hunt on their own rather than with others.

Foxes have their own detailed, complex language system. It’s said that they have almost 30 different types of call they use when they do want to speak to one another.

A fox is a forager. Much like other wild animals, foxes will hunt for food and store it for safe keeping. There’s no telling who might come along and steal it otherwise!

The smallest fox in the world is the fennec, and it’s native to the Sahara desert. It’s nocturnal due to the immense daytime heat. However, it receives plenty of protection while walking around thanks to the fur on its paws.

Red foxes, in particular, have incredible hearing abilities. They can hear even the slightest of sounds over 35 metres away. That’s why they are so good at reacting quickly to potential threats!

The fox is a playful beast, much in line with dogs and wolves. While it is not recommended that you keep a fox as a pet, many people have been successful in domesticating them.

However, a fox should always be treated as a wild animal — they are not as approachable as dogs and may be dangerous!

In 2011, an urban fox was found living on the 72nd floor of the Shard in London, one of the tallest buildings on the continent. Romeo, the fox is question, was safely rescued and brought back down to Earth.

—