By Don Lyman
The Boston Globe, December 4, 2020
A red fox trots across a yard on a snowy day in Massachusetts. BILL BYRNE/MASSWILDLIFE
On a recent walk in the woods, I was startled when a red fox ran across the trail about 50 feet in front of me.
Its thick red fur and long, bushy, white-tipped tail made the 3-foot-long predator seem overdressed for the unseasonably warm mid-November weather. And its late morning appearance surprised me. I’ve occasionally seen foxes at night while driving, but I’ve rarely seen them during the day.
“Red foxes can be active any time, day or night,” said Dave Wattles, black bear and furbearer biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. “But they’re typically more active in the evening or at night so they can avoid people and dogs.”
In fact, red foxes have adapted to being nocturnal and have elliptical pupils, like cats, that help them see better in the dark, explained Wattles.
As for that thick fur, Wattles said it makes the 7- to 15-pound foxes appear much bigger than they actually are. They look smaller and skinnier in the summer after they’ve shed their winter coat.
Red foxes are more common than Massachusetts’ other fox species, the gray fox, and are found throughout the state, except for the islands, said Wattles. They’re also found across most of the United States except for arid regions like the desert Southwest. In fact, Mass Wildlife’s web page, “Learn About Foxes,” says the red fox is the most widespread carnivore species in the world, ranging across the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Although they’re native to the United States, additional red foxes were introduced from England in the 1700s to supplement native populations for fox hunts. Some red foxes in the US are probably a blend of native and European foxes, Wattles said.
Red foxes are thriving in suburban areas because they can exploit a variety of foods and habitats, said Wattles. Most of eastern Massachusetts has large blocks of forest, which provide places for foxes to live, and many forested areas are within or adjacent to suburbs.
Suburban yards can sometimes provide structures for fox dens, too, like areas under porches and sheds, said Wattles.
But the biggest draw for foxes in suburbia is food.
“Bird feeders provide a hunting base in people’s yards,” said Wattles. “Red foxes readily take advantage of bird feeders that attract squirrels, chipmunks, and mice [which foxes eat].”
In addition to small animals, foxes also eat fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, wild grapes, and apples, said Wattles. In the spring they’ll also eat lush emergent vegetation and grasses. They’ll even eat insects. Wattles said he’s watched a red fox in his yard eating grasshoppers.
Foxes also will eat bird and pet food. And some people feed foxes. It’s easy to habituate foxes to human food, said Wattles, whether it be discarded food in garbage, or food that’s put out specifically for foxes. But feeding foxes can cause problems.
“Feeding foxes contributes to mange,” said Wattles. “People think they’re helping wildlife, but they’re causing harm in this case.”
Mange is a disease caused by mites transmitted animal to animal, Wattles explained. The larvae of the mites tunnel under the skin, causing infected foxes to scratch and lose their hair. The infected foxes look terrible, and quite often die.
“Once mange is present, the feeding sites become specific locations where mange is spread, because it attracts healthy animals and animals infested with mange mites,” said Wattles. “When those animals interact, mites get transferred to the healthy animals.”
He recommended reporting mangy foxes to local animal control departments.
Foxes also face a variety of other hazards. Some foxes are killed by motor vehicles. Poisoning is a threat too, said Wattles. If foxes eat poisoned rodents it could be fatal or damage the foxes’ immune systems.
Coyotes will kill foxes if they catch them, said Wattles, so foxes tend to avoid areas with coyotes. They don’t kill foxes to eat them, they’re trying to get rid of potential competitors.
“The bigger dog persecutes the smaller dog,” said Wattles.
Although they’re thriving in terms of their population numbers, red foxes are relatively short- lived in the wild, and probably don’t survive longer than 4 to 6 years because of the numerous hazards they face, Wattles explained. In captivity, red foxes can live 10 to 12 years.
Foxes will go after livestock, like chickens, but aren’t generally a threat to pets, although small dogs and cats could be at risk, said Wattles.
There are only one or two cases a year of foxes attacking people in Massachusetts, and these are usually rabid animals. Wattles said rabid foxes are relatively rare compared to the number of raccoons and skunks that harbor the disease. He said about 15 to 20 foxes test positive for rabies each year in Massachusetts, compared to 80 to 100 raccoons. He emphasized that if you are bitten by a fox or other potentially rabid animal it’s important to seek medical attention to get evaluated for possible rabies treatment right away.
Red foxes mate from mid-January to late February, according to Mass Wildlife. During this time they also prepare dens, which are typically 15 to 20 foot long burrows. Foxes may also set up dens in rock crevices, or under outbuildings, like sheds. They have one litter per year, and four pups is common. Pups usually leave their mother by autumn.
Trapping foxes is allowed in Massachusetts during November, and hunting season is from early November until the end of February, said Wattles. There is no bag limit, but hunters and trappers don’t take many animals, he said.
When it comes to vocalizations, red foxes have a “classic fox scream,” Wattles said.
“If you’re never heard it before and hear it in the middle of the night, you think horrible things are happening to someone,” said Wattles. “I believe this is what people are confused by when they claim to hear a fisher scream.”
Wattles said that old adage “clever as a fox” does have some basis in fact. Red foxes are curious. They’ll steal objects from peoples’ yards and play with them. And they’re pretty good at getting into chicken coops.
He said one of the most interesting red fox behaviors is when they hunt in deep snow. They’ll cock their heads and listen for rodents tunneling under the snow, then spring straight up in the air 3 or 4 feet and dive down into the snow headfirst. With a little luck, the fox catches a mouse or a vole.
“Canids [species in the dog family] tend to be reasonably intelligent,” said Wattles. “Foxes are not rocket scientists by any means, but they can be clever and smart animals.”
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