Fox animal. Fox lifestyle and habitat

Who is this fox? What she looks like, where she lives and what she eats, what her habits are - our message will tell you about all this.

What kind of animal is this? What does a fox look like

The fox is a predatory animal that belongs to the canine family.

Externally It looks like a medium-sized dog, but its habits are more cat-like. On her flexible body there is a neat head with a sharp muzzle and mobile, always alert, large dark ears; her legs are short, thin, but strong.

The fur coat of this animal deserves special attention - it is lush, beautiful, and comes in different colors. Most often, bright red foxes are found, but there can also be black, black-brown, and silver ones. There is such a pattern: in the northern regions the fur of these animals is thick and bright, but the further you go south, the more modest it is in both density and color. And the tail of foxes is very beautiful - long, up to 60 cm, fluffy, always with a white tip. Foxes are hunted only for their valuable fur.

Hearing and vision, smell and touch

The fox has excellent hearing. A hundred steps away she can hear the rustling of a mouse in a hole, the distant flapping of wings and the babbling of a hare. Her large ears, like locators, are very good at identifying the source of sound. The fox can also determine the distance from where the sound came to it.

This animal has interesting vision: far-sighted eyes are adapted to notice even the smallest movement of a blade of grass, see well in the dark But the fox does not distinguish colors well, so it can come very close to a motionless person.

She has a good sense of smell, but many other animals have a much more acute sense of smell.

Very good for foxes developed sense of touch: Walking softly and silently on the ground, leaves or snow, they feel the smallest details with their springy paws. They can find a hole with just their paws.

Where live

Foxes can be found throughout the northern hemisphere of the Earth, even in.

They dig holes for themselves with several entrances and exits and underground tunnels that lead to the nest.

Sometimes they occupy other people's homes, for example, badger holes. Here they breed and hide from danger. They spend a lot of time in the den in an open place, under a bush, in the grass or snow. They sleep very lightly.

What do they eat?

Fox - predator, excellent, very fast and dexterous hunter. She gets great pleasure from the hunting process itself. Its prey is small rodents, moles,... Loves to feast on eggs, eats insects, their larvae, worms, catches fish and crayfish. In times of hunger, it does not disdain carrion. Can diversify the diet with berries and fruits.

By the way, by exterminating rodents and beetles, the fox brings great benefits to agriculture.

Reproduction

The mating season for foxes is January-February. One female is courted by several males at once, who fight each other until they bleed. The fox creates a pair with the winner. Foxes are good parents. They do everything together - they dig a hole, raise offspring, get food.

The female's pregnancy lasts 2 months, in early spring in the burrow 5-7 blind and deaf puppies are born(that's what fox cubs are called). At 2 weeks, puppies begin to see and hear, and they are teething. But for a month and a half, the babies do not leave the hole, feeding on their mother’s milk. Only in June do the fox cubs begin to go outside with their parents. They play and frolic in the sun, learn to hunt.

In mid-autumn, foxes leave their families to live independently. At 2 years old they are already able to reproduce.

Types of foxes

Total in nature there are more than 20 types these animals. The most common is the common red fox. There are also African, Bengal, gray, sand, small, Brazilian and other types of foxes.

One of the most interesting is the fennec. This is a miniature fox with an interesting appearance; it is even smaller in size than a cat... Lives in North Africa.

Habits

Why In all fairy tales, the fox is quick-witted, cunning and insidious, dexterous and smart? Because that's what she really is. One can only wonder how this animal knows how to confuse its tracks, deceive game, pretend and deceive. Although you shouldn’t attribute any incredible abilities to the fox.

Intelligence and cunning are just an animal instinct that nature endowed her with so that the fox could survive.

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Common fox- one of the most graceful predators from the canine family, filling all the forests of Russia, widespread in America, Europe, Africa and even Australia. Types of foxes are quite diverse and have more than 50 subspecies.

The fox has a slender body, an elongated muzzle, pointed ears, a long fluffy tail, non-retractable claws and short paws. Thanks to ears in the shape of locator shells, the fox has acute hearing and is able to pick up any sound vibrations. Interestingly, the length of the tail of a common fox reaches 40-60 centimeters, which is 40% of the length of the entire body. Weight on average up to 10 kilograms.

The color and size of the common fox depend on the geographical location: individuals living to the north will be larger and lighter than their southern counterparts, but more often the color is a bright red back, white belly and dark paws. From February to mid-summer, foxes molt, changing their fur to summer fur, which, unlike winter fur, is shorter and not as thick.

Foxes live in pairs, sometimes in whole families. These animals occupy a territory that provides them with a sufficient amount of food, settle in burrows dug by them, or occupy the burrows of other burrowing animals, for example, marmots or. For their burrows, foxes choose the slopes of ravines or hills with sandy soil, where they will not be afraid of rain. The fox's home will definitely have several entrances, well camouflaged with leaves or bushes. The peculiarity of foxes is that they need holes only during the period of raising their offspring; the rest of the time they often do without them, sleeping anywhere, in leaves or grass. Recently, foxes have become increasingly noticed in cities; they can live in parks, near landfills, and dig holes under houses. Veterinary services catch such “city dwellers” and take them outside the city, but over time the foxes still return.

The common fox is a predator and an excellent hunter, but in addition to rodents and other animals, it can also eat some insects and even berries. The main food for foxes are small rodents and. The number of foxes in the populated area also depends on their number. The more food, the larger the fox family will be. They can also hunt birds and destroy nests by eating chicks or eggs. People are of the opinion that foxes constantly steal from villagers, but this does not happen as often as everyone used to think. Foxes living in deserts eat, and foxes, near whose homes there are rivers, eat fish washed ashore. In a word, foxes are by no means picky eaters; their diet is quite varied. They mainly hunt at night, but in winter they can be caught doing this activity in the middle of the day. After the hunt, the foxes go to rest, confusing their tracks along the way. Before falling asleep, they sit motionless for a while, carefully observing their surroundings. Only after making sure that it is completely safe does the animal curl up into a ball and fall asleep. Although fox paws quite short, the common fox runs very quickly, with its tail extended. It is difficult to catch up with them; hunters often track foxes by smell with the help of sniffer dogs or by following tracks.
The mating season for foxes begins at the end of winter, when the female goes in search of a worthy male. At this time, you can watch an interesting sight: several males grapple in a fierce fight, and the female sits calmly on the side, waiting for the winner. Pregnancy in foxes lasts an average of fifty days; fox cubs appear in late April - early May. At this time, the males again fight among themselves, but now for the right to stay close to the female and raise the cubs. Newborn fox cubs are very similar to puppies, but are distinguished by a permanent white tip of the tail.

Fox (fox) ( Vulpes) is a predatory mammal, belongs to the order Carnivora, family Canidae. The Latin name for the fox genus appears to have come from corruptions of the Latin “lupus” and the German “Wolf,” both translated as “wolf.” In the Old Church Slavonic language, the adjective “fox” corresponded to the definition of yellowish, red and yellowish-orange color, characteristic of the color of the widespread common fox.

Fox (fox): description, characteristics, photo

Depending on the species, the size of the fox varies from 18 cm (for the fennec) to 90 cm, and the weight of the fox ranges from 0.7 kg (for the fennec) to 10 kg. Foxes have a characteristic generic feature - a slender, elongated body with rather short limbs, a slightly elongated muzzle and tail.

The fox's fluffy tail serves as a kind of stabilizer while running, and in winter cold it is used for additional protection from frost.

The length of a fox's tail depends on the species. It reaches 20-30 cm. The length of the common fox's tail is 40-60 cm.

Foxes rely more on touch and smell than sight. They have a sensitive sense of smell and excellent hearing.

Their ears are quite large, triangular, slightly elongated, with a sharp tip. The largest ears are those of the fennec fox (up to 15 cm in height) and the bat-eared fox (up to 13 cm in height).

The vision of animals, adapted for a nocturnal lifestyle, allows representatives of the genus to respond perfectly to movement, however, the structure of the fox's eye with vertical pupils is not adapted for color recognition.

A fox has a total of 42 teeth, except for the bat-eared fox, which grows 48 teeth.

The density and length of the hair of these predators depends on the time of year and climatic conditions. In winter and in areas with harsh weather conditions, the fox's fur becomes thick and lush; in summer, the lushness and length of the fur decreases.

The color of a fox can be sandy, red, yellowish, brown with black or white markings. In some species, the fur color can be almost white or black-brown. In northern latitudes, foxes are larger and have a lighter color; in southern countries, the color of the fox is duller, and the size of the animal is smaller.

When chasing a victim or in case of danger, a fox can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. During the mating season, foxes may make barking sounds.

The lifespan of a fox in natural conditions ranges from 3 to 10 years, but in captivity the fox lives up to 25 years of age.

Classification of foxes

In the canine family (wolf, canine), there are several genera, which include different types of foxes:

• Maikongi ( Cerdocyon)
  • Maikong, savannah fox ( Cerdocyon thous)
• Small foxes ( Atelocynus)
  • Small fox ( Atelocynus microtis)
• Big-eared foxes ( Otocyon)
  • Big-eared fox ( Otocyon megalotis)
• South American foxes ( Lycalopex)
  • Andean fox ( Lycalopex culpaeus)
  • South American fox ( Lycalopex griseus)
  • Darwin's fox ( Lycalopex fulvipes)
  • Paraguayan fox ( Lycalopex gymnocercus)
  • Brazilian fox ( Lycalopex vetulus)
  • Sekuran fox ( Lycalopex sechurae)
• Gray foxes ( Urocyon)
  • Gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
  • Island fox ( Urocyon littoralis)
• Foxes ( Vulpes)
  • Common or red fox ( Vulpes vulpes)
  • American fox ( Vulpes macrotis)
  • Afghan fox ( Vulpes cana)
  • African fox ( Vulpes pallida)
  • Bengal fox (Indian) ( Vulpes bengalensis)
  • Corsac, steppe fox ( Vulpes corsac)
  • American corsac ( Vulpes velox)
  • Sand fox ( Vulpes rueppelli)
  • Tibetan fox ( Vulpes ferrilata)
  • Fennec ( Vulpes zerda, Fennecus zerda)
  • South African fox ( Vulpes chama)

Types of foxes, names and photographs

Below is a brief description of several varieties of foxes:

• Common fox (red fox) ( Vulpes vulpes)

The largest representative of the fox genus. The weight of the fox reaches 10 kilograms, and the length of the body including the tail is 150 cm. Depending on the area of ​​residence, the color of the fox may vary slightly in tonal saturation, but the main color of the back and sides remains bright red, and the belly is white. Black “stockings” are clearly visible on the legs. A characteristic feature is the white tip of the tail and dark, almost black ears.

Its habitat includes all of Europe, North Africa, Asia (from India to Southern China), North America and Australia.

Representatives of this species of foxes happily eat field foxes and young roe deer; when the opportunity arises, they destroy the nests of geese and wood grouse, and feed on carrion and insect larvae. Surprisingly, the red fox is a fierce destroyer of oat crops: in the absence of a meat menu, it attacks cereal farmland, causing damage to it.

• American fox (Vulpes macrotis )

A medium-sized predatory mammal. The body length of a fox varies from 37 cm to 50 cm, the tail reaches a length of 32 cm, the weight of an adult fox ranges from 1.9 kg (for a female) to 2.2 kg (for a male). The back of the animal is colored yellowish-gray or whitish, and the sides are yellowish-brown. The distinctive features of this fox species are a white belly and a black tip of the tail. The lateral surface of the muzzle and the sensitive whiskers are dark brown or black. The length of the fur hairs does not exceed 50 mm.

The fox lives in the southwestern deserts of the United States and north of Mexico, feeding on hares and rodents (kangaroo hoppers).

• Afghan fox (Bukhara, Balochistan fox)(Vulpes cana )

A small animal belonging to the Canidae family. The length of the fox does not exceed 0.5 meters. The length of the tail is 33-41 cm. The weight of the fox ranges from 1.5-3 kilograms. The Bukhara fox differs from other types of foxes in its rather large ears, the height of which reaches 9 cm, and dark stripes running from the upper lip to the corners of the eyes. In winter, the color of the fox's fur on the back and sides becomes a rich brownish-gray color with individual black guard hairs. In summer, its intensity decreases, but the whitish color of the throat, chest and belly remains unchanged. The Afghan fox does not have hair on the surface of its paw pads, which protects other desert foxes from the hot sand.

The main habitat of the fox is the east of Iran, the territory of Afghanistan and Hindustan. Less common in Egypt, Turkmenistan, UAE, Pakistan. The Afghan fox is an omnivore. He eats mice with gusto and does not refuse the vegetarian menu.

• African fox(Vulpes pallida)

Has an external resemblance to a red fox ( Vulpes vulpes), but has a more modest size. The total length of the fox's body including the tail does not exceed 70-75 cm, and the weight rarely reaches 3.5-3.6 kg. Unlike the common fox, its African relative has longer legs and ears. The color of the back, legs and tail with a black tip is red with a brown tint, and the muzzle and belly are white. A black rim is clearly visible around the eyes of adult individuals, and a strip of dark-colored fur runs along the ridge.

The African fox lives in African countries - it can often be seen in Senegal, Sudan and Somalia. The fox's food consists of both animals (small rodents) and plant components.

• Bengal fox (Indian fox)(Vulpes bengalensis )

This type of fox is characterized by medium size. The height of adult individuals at the withers does not exceed 28-30 cm, the weight of the fox ranges from 1.8 to 3.2 kg, and the maximum body length reaches 60 cm. The length of the fox's tail with a black tip rarely reaches 28 cm. Wool, which forms the hairline , short and smooth. It is colored in various shades of sandy brown or reddish brown.

The animal lives in the foothills of the Himalayas and thrives in India and in Bangladesh and Nepal. The Indian fox's menu always includes sweet fruits, but preference is given to lizards, bird eggs, mice, and insects.

• Corsac fox, steppe fox(Vulpes corsac )

It bears a vague resemblance to the common fox, however, unlike it, representatives of this species of fox have a shorter pointed muzzle, large wide ears and longer legs. The body length of an adult corsac is 0.5-0.6 m, and the weight of a fox ranges from 4 to 6 kg. The color of the back, sides and tail of the fox is gray, sometimes with a red or red tint, and the color of the belly is yellowish or white. A characteristic feature of this species is the light coloration of the chin and lower lip, as well as the dark brown or black color of the tip of the tail.

The steppe fox lives in many countries: from southeastern Europe to Asia, including Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan. Often found in the Caucasus and the Urals, lives on the Don and in the lower Volga region.

Steppe foxes feed on rodents (voles, jerboas, mice), destroy nests, hunting for bird eggs, and sometimes attack hares. There is practically no plant food in the diet of the steppe fox.

• American corsac fox, dwarf agile fox, prairie fox(Vulpes velox )

A small fox with a body length from 37 to 53 cm and a weight from 2 to 3 kg. The height of the animal at the withers rarely reaches 0.3 m, and the length of the tail is 35 cm. The characteristic light gray color of the thick short fur of the fox on the sides and back in the summer acquires a pronounced red tint with red-ocher tan marks. The fox's throat and belly are lighter in color. Also characteristic of the American Corsac are the black markings located on both sides of the sensitive nose and the dark tip of the tail.

The dwarf fox lives in areas of plains and semi-deserts and has practically no territorial attachment.

The fox feeds on mice, loves to feast on locusts and will not refuse the carrion left over from the prey of more seasoned predators.

• sand fox(Vulpes rueppelli )

The animal has characteristically large, wide ears and paws, the pads of which are protected from the hot sand by a thick coat of fur. Unlike most of their relatives, representatives of this species of fox have well-developed not only hearing and smell, but also vision. The pale brown color of the back, tail and sides with individual white guard hairs serves as a good camouflage color for the fox in sandy and stone placers in its habitat. The weight of adult animals rarely reaches 3.5-3.6 kg, and the length of the fox’s body including the tail does not exceed 85-90 cm.

The sand fox lives in desert areas. Numerous populations are found in the sands of the Sahara Desert - from Morocco and sultry Egypt to Somalia and Tunisia.

The sand fox's diet is not very diverse, which is due to its habitat. The fox's food includes lizards, jerboas and mice, which the animal is absolutely not afraid of and deftly absorbs.

• Tibetan fox(Vulpes ferrilata )

The animal grows to a size of 60-70 cm and weighs about 5 kg. The rusty-brown or fiery red color of the back, gradually turning into the light gray color of the sides and white belly, creates the impression of stripes running along the body of the fox. Fox fur is dense and longer than other species.

The fox lives on the territory of the Tibetan plateau, and is less common in northern India, Nepal, and some provinces of China.

The food of the Tibetan fox is varied, but its basis is pikas (hay stands), although the fox happily catches mice and hares, does not disdain birds and their eggs, and eats lizards and sweet berries.

• Fennec ( Vulpes zerda)

This is the smallest fox in the world. The height of adult animals at the withers is only 18-22 cm with a body length of about 40 cm and a weight of up to 1.5 kg. The fennec fox has the largest ears among the representatives of the genus. The length of the ears reaches 15 cm. The surface of the pads on the fox's paws is pubescent, which allows the animal to calmly move along the hot sand. The animal's belly is painted white, and its back and sides are painted in various shades of red or fawn. The tip of the fox's fluffy tail is black. Unlike other relatives, who make sounds out of necessity, foxes of this species often communicate with each other using barking, growling, and howling sounds.

Fennec foxes live mainly in the central Sahara, but this fox can often be seen in Morocco, the Sinai and Arabian Peninsulas, near Lake Chad and in Sudan.

Fenech is an omnivorous fox: it hunts rodents and small birds, eats locusts and lizards, and will not refuse the roots of plants and their sweet fruits.

• South African fox ( Vulpes chama)

A fairly large animal with a weight of 3.5 to 5 kg and a body length of 45 to 60 cm. The length of the tail is 30-40 cm. The color of the fox varies from gray with a silver tint to almost black on the back and gray with a yellowish tint on the belly.

The fox lives exclusively in the countries of Southern Africa, with especially large populations found in Angola and Zimbabwe.

Omnivorous species: food includes small rodents, lizards, low-nesting birds and their eggs, carrion and even food waste, which the animal looks for when entering private yards or landfills.

• Maikong, savannah fox, crabeater fox ( Cerdocyon thous)

The species has a body length of 60 to 70 cm, the fox's tail reaches 30 cm, and the fox weighs 5-8 kg. The height of the maikong at the withers is 50 cm. The color is brown-gray with brown spots on the muzzle and paws. The color of the throat and belly may be grey, white or various shades of yellow. The tips of the fox's ears and tail are black. The legs of the maikong are short and strong, the tail is fluffy and long. The weight of an adult maikong reaches 4.5-7.7 kg. The body length is approximately 64.3 cm, the tail length is 28.5 cm.

• Big-eared fox ( Otocyon megalotis)

The animal has disproportionately large ears, reaching 13 cm in height. The fox's body length reaches 45-65 cm, the tail length is 25-35 cm. The weight of the fox varies between 3-5.3 kg. The hind legs of the animal have 4 fingers, the front legs are five-toed. The color of the animal is usually gray-yellow with brown, gray or yellow spots. The belly and throat of the fox have a lighter shade. The tips of the paws and ears are dark, there is a black stripe on the tail, and the same stripe is on the fox’s face. This species of fox differs from other species by the presence of 48 teeth (other representatives of the genus have only 42 teeth).

The fox lives in southern and eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, South Africa.

The fox's main food is termites, beetles and locusts. Sometimes the animal feeds on bird eggs, lizards, small rodents, and plant foods.

The distribution range of foxes includes all of Europe, the African continent, North America, Australia and a large part of Asia. The fox lives in the forests and groves of Italy and Portugal, Spain and France, in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of Russia and Ukraine, Poland and Bulgaria, desert and mountainous regions of Egypt and Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, Mexico and the United States of America. Foxes feel at ease in the fertile climate of India, Pakistan and China, as well as the harsh conditions of the Arctic and Alaska.

Under natural conditions, foxes live in ravines and ravines overgrown with vegetation, forests or plantings interspersed with fields, in desert and highland areas. Burrows of other animals or those dug themselves are often used as shelter. Burrows can be either simple or with a complex system of passages and emergency exits. Foxes can hide in caves, rock crevices, and also in tree hollows. They can easily survive spending the night in the open air. The animal easily adapts to life in cultivated landscapes. Fox populations were observed even in park areas of large cities.

Almost all members of the family lead an active nocturnal lifestyle, but foxes often go hunting during the daytime.

Fox- one of the most popular heroines of children's fairy tales. But the Fox, as a fairy-tale image, is endowed with features characteristic of these animals in reality. The fox is beautiful: a bushy tail that is slightly less than half the length of the body, a red fur coat and a roguish narrow-nosed muzzle with beautiful brown eyes. Besides Fox slim, graceful, weighs 6-10 kilograms.

What does Lisa look like?

Fox They also call her a redhead, and this is actually true, only her belly is white, gray or slightly brownish, and her chest is light. The back and sides of the Fox are colored differently in different parts: from bright red to gray.

In the northern forests, Foxes are fiery red and larger, in the forest-steppe they are yellowish-gray and smaller. Greyhounds, crosses, and silver foxes are common Foxes with deviations from the usual color. Black-brown fur is the most beautiful: guard hairs with white upper parts give the fur a silvery tint.

Such Foxes began to be bred on fur farms many years ago; black-brown Foxes are very rare in nature.

Summer Fox fur hard and short, in it she looks lean, big-headed and even long-legged, it suits the Fox less than the winter one. And by autumn, winter fur grows - beautiful, thick. Fox Shedding once a year - in the spring.

Fox Habits

Fox is a good hunter. In addition to observation and intelligence, she has excellent visual memory, a good sense of smell and acute hearing. The mouse squeaks barely audibly, and Fox hears a hundred meters away, a vole will rustle through dry grass under a half-meter layer of snow - and hear it. It climbs well, swims well, and is extremely maneuverable on the shore. Her ingenuity on the hunt or when escaping from pursuers is admirable.

Fox will be able to climb a tree if it is slightly inclined or branches low from the ground. The fox is very active. She knows her hunting area down to the smallest detail and systematically inspects it. Patterned chains in winter Fox tracks bizarrely cross fields, copses, ravines, getting lost on roads and paths and intertwining around stacks of straw, piles of dry soybean stalks, piles of dead wood and in other places where mice and voles live.

There was, and still is, the opinion that the main Fox food - hares. Of course, the Fox loves hare meat, but she can’t often catch up with a hare - how can she keep up with such a runner.

However, Foxes get along just fine without hare meat. It is estimated that the Fox's diet includes more than 300 different animals - from insects to large birds.

And yet the main food Foxes - rodents. They take up 80-85% of her diet. To get enough, the Fox needs to catch and eat at least two dozen mice and voles a day. And where fox feeding- and the area of ​​its feeding area is on average 10 kilometers in diameter - there are much fewer rodents than where there are no foxes.

After the rains, the fox collects earthworms in abundance. In shallow water Fox successfully catches fish, crayfish, takes out shells. It happens that half-eaten prey remains, and then the Fox hides it, taking it to different places. Then she will certainly find these supplies and eat them.

It is characteristic that, being a typical predator, the Fox is happy to eats berries, apples, some vegetables.

Fox hunts, as a rule, at dusk and at night, during the day it can be seen only during the lean period, most often in winter, and even in summer, when the fox cubs are growing.

Norami fox It is used mainly during raising offspring, and the rest of the time it prefers to rest in an open place: under the roots of an upturned tree, in a ravine, on a haystack.

Reproduction of foxes

Mating season for foxes begins from the end of January - in February, and in the north in March, although even before that you can often see a male and female in pairs. During wedding time, in March, one female is courted by several males, and fights between them are common. During the rut, Foxes are very excited, often yapping and howling, especially single ones who have not yet found a mate for themselves.

You can tell the difference between a male and a female by their voices. Female Fox makes a triple bark and ends it with a short howl, and the male barks more often and more, like a dog. Once alone, the couples play a lot, even organize some kind of dances: the Fox rises on its hind legs and walks in this position with small steps. This dance got its name from this dance. foxtrot(the word "foxtrot" is English and means "fox step").

Male foxes are good family men. They not only take an active part in raising the young, but also take touching care of their friends long before they give them adorable fox cubs: they carry food and improve their burrows.

Fox cubs There are from 4 to 12 in a litter, but most often there are 5-6. They appear after 51-53 days of pregnancy, usually at the end of April or in the first half of May. Fox cubs they are born weak and helpless, deaf and blind, weighing only 100-150 grams, but grow quite quickly. In less than a month, they can already see, hear, weigh about 1 kilogram, emerge from the hole, and soon begin to play and frolic. From now on, Fox's parents bring them half-dead game so that the fox cubs acquire hunting skills.

As soon as a person even accidentally stumbles upon a fox hole, the very next night The cubs will be transferred to another location, into a spare hole; Foxes usually have several of them on their site. If Fox cubs are in danger, adults discover something surprising presence of mind. Even when a person breaks a hole with a shovel, they try to the last to save their children - to get them out through one of the holes.

Fox trick

Sometimes you can notice in fox behavior actions that resemble episodes from fairy tales. For example, the Fox approaches the black grouse gathered at a lek in an open clearing in an amazingly cunning way: she pretends that she is not at all interested in them, and does not even look in their direction; sometimes he will lie down and take a nap, and the birds lose their vigilance and go about their business - very Lisa is a good actress.

Meanwhile, Patrnkeevna will move a meter or two towards them. Lisa spares no time in playing: sometimes such a performance lasts an hour or two. Then a few lightning-fast jumps - and the hunt is victoriously completed.

Not many animals are called by their first name or patronymic. But the Fox is often called that way. Moreover, her middle name is unusual - Patrikeevna. About 600 years ago there lived a prince named Patrikey Narimuntovich, famous for his resourcefulness and cunning. Since then, the name Patrikey has become equivalent to the word cunning. And since the Fox has long been considered by the people to be a very cunning beast, as the heiress of the famous prince, she received the patronymic name Patrikeevna.

Being a typical predator, the Fox happily eats berries, apples, and some vegetables.

Little Foxes They fight well against pests such as chafers.