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Red Fox
The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a member of the dog family. It has a pointed face and ears and a long, bushy tail. It is larger than the arctic fox and lives in more southern ranges. However, the red fox is an adaptable animal and some have extended their range into areas where the arctic fox is found. The red fox is a small animal, weighing 3.0 to 7.0 kg. It is about 100 cm long with its tail accounting for almost half this length.
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The fur industry often refers to red foxes as coloured foxes because the red fox has three separate colour phases. The red phase is most common and occurs in 45 to 75 per cent of the population. These foxes are reddish-brown with a white chest, abdomen and tip of the tail. They have black hairs on their legs and down their backs. The cross fox is grey-brown in colour with black hairs across the shoulders, which form a "cross." This second phase constitutes 20 to 44 per cent of the red fox population in Canada. Silver foxes are black with a white tip of the tail and a variable amount of silver frosting on the guard hairs. The silver phase occurs in only 2 to 17 per cent of red foxes. All colour phases can occur in the same litter. |
Red foxes are shy, nervous animals, which are most active at night. They have acute hearing and a keen sense of smell. They run with a quick, airy gait, leaving paw prints in a line in the snow.
Distribution
The red fox is the most widely distributed carnivore in the world. It occurs throughout most of North America, Asia and Europe. It ranges across Canada as far north as some of the arctic islands. Higher densities are located below the treeline of the NWT and they occur sparsely in the southern tundra.
Normal home ranges vary between 5 and 35 km2. Foxes may undertake long migrations in search of food, especially in years of low prey density and high fox numbers. The wide distribution of red foxes indicates that it is able to survive in a variety of habitats. It is most often found in semi-pen country, such as natural clearings, river valleys, tundra and agricultural areas.
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Grey shaded area - Distribution of Red Fox
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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.
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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. |
Diet
| Red foxes are omnivorous, feeding on whatever is available, but chiefly mice. In the winter, their diet also includes muskrats, squirrels, hares and grouse. During the summer, they expand this diet to include birds' eggs, beetles and vegetable matter, such as grass and berries. Red foxes are also scavengers, eating garbage and carrion. Such versatility in switching to different food items is another factor which has enabled red foxes to be so widely distributed. |
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Harvest Levels
Red foxes in the NWT are harvested as furbearers. Trapping seasons extend generally from early November to late February below the treeline, and to mid-April in tundra areas.
| Year |
Harvest |
Average price per pelt |
Total Value |
| 1991/1992 |
798 |
$17.19 |
$13,721.55 |
| 1992/1993 |
346 |
$16.38 |
$5,668.02 |
| 1993/1994 |
454 |
$22.22 |
$10,089.74 |
| 1994/1995 |
802 |
$30.80 |
$24,707.65 |
| 1995/1996 |
783 |
$29.40 |
$23,019.61 |
| 1996/1997 |
953 |
$33.12 |
$31,543.02 |
| 1997/1998 |
1,171 |
$26.00 |
$29,914.00 |
| 1998/1999 |
238 |
$20.77 |
$4,944.00 |
| 1999/2000 |
555 |
$25.00 |
$13,873.09 |
| 2000/2001 |
369 |
$37.03 |
$13,663.54 |
| 2001/2002 |
219 |
$44.71 |
$9,791.33 |
| 2002/2003 |
218 |
$49.33 |
$10,753.51 |
Red foxes in the NWT are harvested in compliance with the Agreement on International Humane Trap Standards. The NWT has committed to implementing these standards and enforcing the use of certified humane traps.
For more information on the types of humane traps used in the NWT, visit the Humane Trap Research and Development web-site.
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