Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
improving night vision. Taken together, these two adaptations give the fox, like the cat, outstanding
vision under light conditions ranging from deep darkness to brightest sunlight.
As almost everyone knows, cats can retract their claws, and, to a degree, so can red foxes. Partially
retractable claws may serve at least two purposes. First, they permit quieter stalking, especially on
stones or hard ground; second, they stay sharper, and sharp claws are an aid to both fox and cat in pin-
ning small prey.
When a fox dispatches its prey, it does so in a manner similar to that of a cat. Most canids seize
their prey and shake it vigorously from side to side as a means of killing it or rendering it helpless. Red
foxes, on the other hand, have long, slender canine teeth, more like those of cats than of dogs. Using
those long, sharp canines, the fox eschews shaking its prey and, cat-fashion, simply bites down hard to
kill it.
The fox's vibrissae—what we usually call whiskers—are catlike, too. Where other canids have pro-
portionately shorter whiskers, the fox sports longer ones in the manner of a cat. Even a fox's threat
display toward one of its own species is similar to a cat's: its hair stands up, its back arches, and it turns
broadside in a stiff-legged prance toward its rival. Anyone who's had much experience with house cats
has seen this sort of performance, which is notably absent in dogs.
Red foxes prey on almost any creature they can catch and kill. These include large insects, such as
grasshoppers and crickets; small birds; occasional larger birds such as grouse, pheasants, and ducks;
squirrels; hares and rabbits; and snakes and lizards. They also eat berries and fruit when they're avail-
able, and the Song of Solomon proclaims, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines.”
Evidently the fable of the fox and the grapes isn't entirely fanciful.
One other item—young woodchucks—can be added to this smorgasbord of fox treats. Several years
ago, close to the woods that border our fields, a fox trotted past me only a few feet away, a defunct,
half-grown woodchuck clamped securely in its mouth. The fox's entire demeanor, from head held high
and forward to its high-stepping gait, immediately reminded me of the many house cats that I've seen
carrying chipmunks and mice in that fashion.
Despite such wide-ranging tastes in food, red foxes are, above all else, preeminent mousers (as used
here, “mouse” includes a variety of small, somewhat mouselike rodents, such as voles). Watching a
mousing fox is a marvelous sight, one of the most arresting in the natural world.
We are indebted to J. David Henry for his insight into the various methods used by foxes to hunt
different types of prey. He has observed, for example, that foxes hunting large insects, which are quite
easy to catch, behave in a rather offhand, relaxed manner, but their demeanor when mousing is quite
the opposite. Ears pricked up and head held high, the mousing fox is the epitome of alertness.
The fox has wonderful hearing, and, by turning its head slightly from side to side, can locate a
mouse rustling in the grass with considerable accuracy. Using sight, smell, and hearing—but particu-
larly hearing—the fox stalks forward step by cautious step. Finally, when it deems its prey within range,
it crouches, sets its feet, and leaps in a high, spectacular arc, coming down with its extended front legs
