The Red Fox

The red fox wasn't indigenous to North America, but it colonized the continent right after the last ice age. I had been taught that British colonists imported the fox, so the men could continue their fox hunting. According to more recent research, however, red foxes were here before the British.

The fox tends to adapt well to varying environments and have earned the reputation of being smart and cunning. "As sly as a fox" has become a common figure of speech. It uses it's tail for balance, to wrap up in on cold nights, and as a form of communication with other foxes. Foxes leave their scent on rocks, trees, bushes, and posts to mark their presence.

Foxes mate in the winter, and the vixen normally births from 2 to 10 kits a few weeks later. When they are born, the babies are brown or gray, and their red coats grow in about a month. Still, there are varying shades of red, often with some other color hairs mixed in. The male brings the female food and cares for her while she's tending the young.

Unlike the wolf, the red fox tends to be solitary and usually prefers to hunt alone at night. It eats small animals, such as rodents, rabbits, chipmunks, birds, frogs, and fish. It will also occasionally eat berries and fruits. They can become a nuisance when they overpopulate an area, and they carry rabies, but their beauty is undeniable.

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