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Table of Contents
The fox is the smallest member of the dog family, although it also has many similarities with cats, such as vertical slit eyes and retractable claws. They also hunt like cats, stalking their prey and playing with it before killing it.
Keep reading for more Fox facts or download the comprehensive Fox worksheet pack which can be utilized within the classroom or home environment.
Facts & Information
Origins of Foxes
- Foxes are omnivorous animals that are members of the Canidae family. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the ten or so species of “true” foxes (genus Vulpes), particularly the red, or common, fox (Vulpes vulpes), which resided in both the Old and New Worlds.
- It is thought that the first true foxes appeared in North America around 9 million years ago in the late Miocene, and were known by a small Californian species known as Vulpes Kernensis and a larger species known as Vulpes Stenognathus that was found across the continent.
- Foxes colonized Europe after spreading out from North America, presumably via the Bering land bridge.
- V. riffautae is the oldest Old World fox specimen identified and was discovered in the Central African country of Chad in the late Miocene.
- Most authors agree that our modern-day red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is descended from the Vulpes alopecoides, which lived in southern Europe at the end of the Pliocene, around 2.6 million years ago – fossil remains of this species were first discovered in deposits from Italy in the late 1800s, and remains have since been found in France, Spain, and Greece.
Types and Characteristics of Foxes
- As seen in the image to the left, foxes have a long coat, pointed ears, short legs, and a narrow snout. They typically weigh around 20 pounds.
- They have pointed ears that can hear very low frequencies, which aids them in locating the small rodents they prey on.
- Foxes, like cats, can see in the dark. This demonstrates that they were originally entirely nocturnal; they hunted at night and slept by day. They have adapted their behavior over time.
- Different types of foxes, such as red, fennec, gray, and Arctic foxes, have distinct characteristics.
Red Foxes
- Red foxes are the most common and probably the friendliest foxes in the world. Their fur varies in color, from orange to red to white or black.
- Thus, they have black feet and orange body hair. Red foxes have white and gray underbellies, and the tips of their tails may have a white tag. Red foxes can run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
Fennec Foxes
- Fennec foxes are the smallest fox species and possibly the smallest wild canids. They have tan fur that blends in with the desert landscape.
- Fennec foxes have large ears with blood vessels that help regulate their body temperature and listen for small prey like rodents and insects.
Gray Foxes
- Gray foxes are less than half the size of red foxes and weigh about 15 pounds on average.
- They are the only wild canid with retractable claws, allowing them to climb trees, and are thus known as tree foxes.
- They have fur that is salt and pepper in color, which helps them blend in with the trees.
- Because gray foxes cannot run as fast as red foxes, they must rely on their ability to blend in. Gray foxes prefer to live in wooded or bushy areas with lots of shrubs.
Arctic Foxes
- Arctic foxes have fluffy tails that they wrap around themselves to keep warm in the winter.
- Arctic foxes are only found in the northern hemisphere, where temperatures regularly drop below freezing. They have fur on the bottoms of their footpads, which keeps them warm in the winter.
Fox Behavior
- Foxes live in groups of two to six adults, but they forage mostly on their own. They communicate with other foxes using vocalizations.
- A study shows that when different groups of foxes come into contact with each other, it almost always results in aggression to defend their territory.
- The majority of foxes mate for life, meaning they do not seek out other partners, they prefer to stay with their mates and raise multiple litters. On the other hand, if a male fox dies, the female fox looks for another mate.
- Foxes can be sociable and pose little danger to humans or household pets. While most foxes are solitary creatures who prefer to be alone, others, such as urban foxes, have learned to coexist with humans.
Fox Habitat
- Foxes prefer to live in forests, but can also be found in mountains, grasslands, and deserts. They make their homes in the ground by digging burrows.
- These burrows, also known as dens, provide a cool place to sleep, a good place to store food, and a safe place for their pups.
Conservation Efforts
- The availability of food, the sustainability of their habitat, coyote predation, hunting, and trapping pressure all contribute to the fox population’s decline.
- Furthermore, the majority of foxes’ lives are endangered because farmers hunt them and sell their fur for profit to make coats, cuffs, collars, and trims.
- Foxes are being forced to live closer to humans as a result of development and urbanization. This causes extreme harm to foxes. It is critical that animals such as the fox have safe havens away from urbanization.
- Hunting restrictions are also part of fox conservation efforts. In some areas, it is essential to maintain the population under control.
- Programs that efficiently measure the number of foxes and release a fixed amount of hunting tags for them are fantastic.
- Brutal hunting techniques are also discouraged.
- Those who hunt illegally without a tag face harsh fines and penalties.
- Putting strict laws in place to enforce such penalties, on the other hand, needs to be pushed harder.
Foxes in Media and Popular Culture
- In ancient Japan, foxes are both revered and feared because of their cunning personality; they can be merciful but also vengeful and trickster deities.
- Like many adorable animals, foxes are common characters in many children’s stories. Some portray them as helpful animals, and others as cunning and witty animals.
- Some popular fox characters:
- Swiper is the main villain in the Dora the Explorer television series, and he appears in almost every episode. He’s a cunning orange fox that steals or tries to steal important items that aid Dora on her adventures.
- Nick Wilde is the deuteragonist in Disney’s 2016 animated movie Zootopia. He is a scam artist fox in Zootopia who is compelled to assist police officer Judy Hopps, a rabbit, throughout her investigation.
- Robin Hood is an anthropomorphic fox who stars in the 1973 animated feature film adaptation Robin Hood.
- Tod is the protagonist of The Fox and the Hound, an animated feature film from 1981 and its 2006 sequel. He is a fox who befriends a hound dog named Copper, regardless of the fact that the pair are sworn enemies.
Fox Worksheets
This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Fox Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about The Fox which is the smallest member of the dog family, although it also has many similarities with cats – such as vertical slit eyes and retractable claws.
Download includes the following worksheets:
- Fox Facts
- The Fox
- Beautiful Foxes
- Fox Feature
- What Does the Fox Say?
- Canidae Family
- Story Time!
- Story Time II
- Foxy Poem
- Word Find
- A-maze-ing Way Out
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Link will appear as Fox Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 3, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.