Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
16
Not a Cat, But . . .: The Red Fox
MYTHS
Red foxes weigh twenty-five pounds or more.
Red foxes roll, tumble, and leap in order to attract curious prey within pouncing distance.
Red foxes are nonnative, brought here by European settlers.
LIKE A WIND-DRIVEN TONGUE OF FLAME, THE FOX FLICKERS THROUGH THE
UNDERBRUSH OR, LIKE A CREEPING GROUND FIRE, MOVES SLOWLY AND STEALTHILY
THROUGH THE GRASS IN SEARCH OF PREY. With its bright reddish-yellow or reddish-orange
coat, neat black “stockings,” alert ears with black backs, and white beneath its body and pointed
muzzle, the red fox
(Vulpes fulva)
is unquestionably one of nature's loveliest and most elegant
creatures. Even its scientific name, taken verbatim from Latin (
Vulpes,
fox, and
fulva,
reddish yellow)
pays tribute to the predominant color of the red fox's handsome coat.
Red foxes aren't always red, although that's their usual color. Two noteworthy variations are the sil-
ver and cross foxes. The silver fox is basically a black phase of the red fox, so named because silver-
tipped guard hairs grow out through the black in winter, giving the fox a silvery appearance. The cross
fox is named for the dark fur, in the shape of a cross, spanning the shoulders and running down the back.
These two variations, found mostly in far northern climes, were rare enough to be extremely valuable
for their fur in the days before fur farms began producing them.
No account of the red fox's appearance would be complete without mention of its glorious tail,
commonly called its “brush.” This splendid appendage is so thickly furred that it has real substance
if squeezed, yet it weighs virtually nothing. The tip of the brush is white and is known as the “tag.”
No other North American canid, including other species of foxes, has this white tag. Resplendent in
its winter coat, a running red fox, magnificent brush seemingly floating behind it, is truly a sight to be
treasured!
