Red Fox
Reproduction
Mating
of the red fox occurs in February and March and a den is dug or an existing
burrow is found and prepared for habitation.
It prefers den sites along riverbanks in sandy soil.
These dens are not as complex as those of the arctic fox are, but they
are still spacious.
It
is believed that the red fox family forms a strong social unit.
There is evidence that the vixen and male pair for life and use the same
den and home ranges year after year.
 Red
fox pups are born between March and May after a gestation period of 51 to
53 days. About five pups are born in a litter. Their eyes open during the second week of life.
The pups are weaned and appear above ground to romp at the den
entrance after a month. By
this time, they are able to eat whole prey, which the parents bring, but
initially the adult foxes chew the food before feeding the pups.
In August, the young foxes disperse and may travel until
mid-winter before they establish their own hunting territory.
After 10 months they reach sexual maturity and are able to breed.
Foxes
are particularly susceptible to
rabies. However,
it is not a common disease in the North and only small numbers of foxes die
during rare outbreaks. Other
diseases have been recorded in foxes, but they do not have a significant effect
on fox numbers. Foxes host a number
of parasites typical of carnivores that feed on small prey.
Roundworms and hookworms may cause debilitating disease in young pups. |
