The European red fox is the commonest carnivore in this country and is a surprisingly successful species, despite centuries of being hunted for its fur or for sport. It is estimated that the countryside population is around 230,000, but what makes the fox so successful is its ability to live virtually anywhere and eat virtually anything – from worms and beetles, to voles and mice, and even fruit from apple and pear trees.

Foxes didn’t really start moving into urban areas until the early 1900s, with towns like Bristol not being occupied until as late as the 1940s. The current urban population is thought to be around 33,000, with the highest densities in large cities such as London, Manchester and Liverpool.

Successful at adapting to new habitats

Foxes are a northern hemisphere creature with native species ranging from North Africa to the Arctic Circle, across Europe, the Asian Steppes and Japan. The European red fox was introduced to the United States in the 1600s, quickly colonising North America and most of Canada. They were also introduced into Australia in the mid-1800s for hunting, and just 100 years later had colonised the entire Australian continent, giving an indication of how successful a species they are at adapting to new habitats.

They fight to establish their social position

Foxes mate in January or February and the vixen will produce a litter of 3-4 cubs around 53 days later. For the first two weeks or so the vixen stays in her den nursing the cubs, so she is totally reliant on the dog fox providing her with food.

At 4-5 weeks the cubs will begin to leave their den and explore their habitat, playing, squabbling and fighting in the process. Even at this young age they can be quite vicious and it is not unknown for young cubs to fight to the death as they try to establish their social position.

In the autumn many young dog foxes and some vixens will leave their home territory because they want to establish territories of their own, although some will stay ‘at home’ and form a social family group. Many young foxes become road victims or are killed by dogs during this time of the year, and a great number die of starvation and cold in bad winters. Around 55% of foxes die in their first year and 80% die before they are three years old, although foxes kept in captivity can live for fourteen years or more.

Unfortunately, the fox suffers from bad publicity and false myths, which make them disliked by many people and often viewed as vermin. The suggestion that foxes kill cats and dogs is totally wrong. An adult cat is more than a match for a fox and the fox will retreat quickly if threatened by a cat or dog.

An important species

In folklore foxes are traditionally depicted as cunning and deceitful creatures, yet at the same time are viewed with respect and admiration. More recently foxes have become important characters in children’s books and films, and are frequently used in advertising and the media in general, giving some indication of how popular and important a species they are.