Red Fox - Photo: Neil Burton/Shutterstock The Red Fox Is Related To: This is faster than permitted when travelling by car in town! Are Foxes Fast Runners?Ī fox can run as fast as 30 mph (50 km/h) when chasing his prey. With migratory birds one speaks of a "magnetic compass". They are not the only animals that have a "magnetic sense". Foxes use the Earth's magnetic field to accurately determine the distance and direction of their prey. In the sixties, a wildlife photographer captured this moment on a photo subsequently turning this folk belief into a proven theory (Source: Red Fox - Photo: David Havel/Shutterstock Senses and Abilities Foxes Use the Earth's Magnetic Field For a long time, it was not actually possible to physically observe this trick, which was consequently dismissed as a popular folk belief. However, not for the scavengers, but for the fox, who "awakens" from his "rigor mortis" and then snaps at his prey within a split second. After repeating this a few times and being lulled into a (false) sense of security, it is "dinner time". After the birds have closely observed the motionless fox, they briefly peck him “as a test” to check whether he is still alive and quickly fly off again. How Do Foxes Fool Crows?Įven crows and other scavengers fall into the trap of the proverbial sly fox: How? Quite simple, the fox lures them into the trap by pretending to be dead. So, he uncurls himself and soaking wet, plods ashore - directly into the claws of the fox. The hedgehog is naturally not very fond of so much water. Our fox, however, has come up with a very cunning trick: He nudges the hedgehog very carefully with his paw, and rolls him into the nearest pond. From their own painful experience, dogs and cats can tell you a thing or two about scratched noses and paws. When a hedgehog curls himself up, he appears to be safe from any danger. They also savour the marvels of fruit such as plums and raspberries. However, foxes are not purely meat eaters. Sometimes they even polish off fish, frogs or worms. Red Fox - Photo: Menno Schaefer/Shutterstock Behavior What Do Foxes Eat?įoxes like to eat small vertebrates, particularly mice, as well as squirrels, hedgehogs and geese. The Foxtailįoxes use their bushy tails not only to keep their balance while jumping or chasing, but also to warm themselves or even as a signal flag to communicate with other foxes. The fennec is in fact the smallest fox in the world yet has incredibly long ears! Anatomy and Appearance Are Foxes More Like Cats or Dogs?įoxes are canines (belong to the dog species) but also resemble cats, which is characterized for example by being loners, by their slit shaped eyes or the typical “playing with the prey” behaviour. There are more than 40 other kinds of foxes, for example the arctic fox, the grey fox, the short-eared fox/bat-eared fox or the fennec.
They live in forests, grasslands, mountains, deserts or on the coast. The red fox is the most famous fox, but not the only type of fox.