Well, folks, it’s STILL February. For some reason, it seems to me like it lasts forever. I know it’s the shortest month of the year, but, for whatever reason, it seems like the longest to me. Since, for many, outdoor activities are somewhat limited this month, I decided to do a “creature feature.”
Recently, while riding along the river in hopes of seeing an eagle, a gray fox ran across the road in front of me. Since it’s been a very long time since we looked at these critters, I thought it might be nice to revisit them.
Foxes, along with coyotes, make up Pennsylvania’s wild dogs. Perhaps a bit of clarification is in order here. The reference to wild dogs does not mean feral domesticated species which have become wild. Foxes are genuine wild dogs.
The red fox is one of our better known wild animals. It is easy to distinguish from the gray fox or the coyote by its white tail tip. Portrayed in cartoons, movies and stories as extremely clever and cunning, they have proven themselves to be among nature’s most cautious and adaptable creatures. They have learned to live quite well around humans, and to reap some of the fruits of our labor. They are not above a midnight raid on the hen-house. More often, however, these omnivores feed in the wild. They eat a wide variety of fruits, nuts, etc., and they prey on eggs, birds, small mammals and insects. Like other dogs, they sometimes bury some of their food for later use. In fact, there is little that they won’t eat. Much of their activity is nocturnal. Foxes have oval eye pupils like cats, and therefore they possess superior night vision.
Red foxes normally mate in February or early March. In early spring, a litter of six or seven young, known as kits, are born. They weigh between three and four ounces, and are blind and helpless at birth.
Except for a period after the young are born, red foxes have little use for a den. The female stays with the kits in the den while the male serves as the food provider. Except for this, no matter how brutal the weather may be, the foxes will curl up somewhere outside, using their tails as blankets. It is uncertain whether or not red foxes are native to North America, although they probably are. Large numbers of them were brought here from Europe during the 1700’s, as they were more sporting than gray foxes to hunt with hounds.
Aside from the difference in coloration and the dark tail tip, the gray fox is very similar in appearance to the red. Their litters are frequently a little smaller, but their early behavior around the den is a lot like that of their red cousins. In addition, they feed on basically the same things, and their habits are in large measure nocturnal.
In many ways, the habits and lifestyles of the two foxes differ drastically. The gray fox is much more den-oriented than the red, using a den all winter for shelter and protection. Perhaps the most amazing of the gray’s characteristics is its ability to climb trees. In fact, it is the only North American member of the dog family with true tree climbing ability. It makes “dog noises,” such as barks, yelps and growls, but not as often as the red fox. Its bark can sound like that of a much larger animal, and may be used at times for defensive purposes. In many areas, the gray fox is not as much at odds with farmers as his red kinsman.
Foxes are notorious carriers of rabies, and should never be petted or handled. Animals which seem friendly or unafraid of people are particularly suspect.
Tune up the old fishing gear. As mentioned last week, sucker fishing is coming up.
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