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Answer
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Karin
asked
on
4/16/2006,
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Dear Jim, my family and I have been watching a pair of fox come and go along a hillside near our home. We think they're red fox because their fur is kind of reddish brown but we're not sure. Are there other kinds of fox in Wisconsin? If so, how can we tell them apart? |
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Jim's answer: |
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Karin, from your description, I'd say you are indeed seeing red fox, especially if their fur is a rusty orange or reddish brown. Adult red fox have bright yellow or light brown eyes and have a white fur tip on their big bushy tails, although this isn't always easy to see. There is one other species of fox in Wisconsin called the gray fox. They also have a reddish tinge to their fur but for the most part have more of a salt and pepper grayish color. Gray fox usually prefer to live in large wooded areas as far away from people as they can get. Red fox, on the other hand, can be found both in agricultural and urban areas. Red fox are loners for most of the year. They're rarely seen since they almost always hunt for prey under the cover of darkness. The only time we really get to see them together during the day is in mid-December when the breeding season begins and again in early spring and summer when they dig underground dens to raise their pups. A few years ago, a red fox dug a den into a sandy knoll near my home in clear sight of our family dog's kennel. The fox used this same den to raise four to six pups each spring for several years. If you're seeing fox during the daytime, I bet they have a den nearby and are busy hunting prey like mice and rabbits to bring back to the den site. If don't disturb them too much, you might be lucky enough to see the young fox kits romp and play near their den sometime soon. |
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