Field Guide
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Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Not yet photographed by the community
Adaptable canid found from remote countryside to city centres.
Species Profile
Not listed on UK Red or Amber Lists; classified as Least Concern globally; widespread and stable UK population
- Lifespan
- 2–5 years in the wild; up to 10 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- Head and body 45–50 cm, tail 30–40 cm; 4.5–7.5 kg (males larger than females)
- Habitat
- Highly adaptable to diverse environments including woodlands, farmland, moorland, grassland, and increasingly urban and suburban areas including gardens and parks.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout mainland Britain, Wales, and Scotland as a resident species present year-round; absent from most of Ireland and the far north of Scotland.
- Diet
- Opportunistic omnivore consuming small mammals (especially rabbits and rodents), birds, insects, fruit, berries, and carrion; also scavenges from human waste.
- Prey
- Rabbits, hares, voles, mice, rats, birds (particularly gamebirds and ground-nesting species), insects, earthworms
- Predators
- Golden eagles (chicks); adult foxes have few natural predators in the UK and are primarily controlled by humans through culling and traffic accidents
- Mating Season
- December to February
- Breeding
- Litter size 4–6 kits born March–April after gestation of 52 days; kits weaned at 8–10 weeks; single brood per year
- Behaviour
- Primarily nocturnal and solitary or in pairs; territorial with family groups defending home ranges of 1–10 km². Highly vocal, with distinctive barks, screams, and contact calls. Increasingly bold in urban environments and capable of rapid habituation to human presence.
- •The red fox is the largest true fox species and the only fox species established as a breeding resident across the UK
- •Urban red foxes in Britain have adapted to city life, exploiting food from bins and parks; London's fox population is estimated at around 10,000 individuals
- •Foxes use Earth's magnetic field for hunting, employing precise directional leaps to catch rodents under snow or vegetation
- •The distinctive russet-red coat provides camouflage in both moorland and urban environments; black-tipped ears and white-tipped tail are key identifying features
- •Fox populations are naturally self-regulating through territoriality and food availability; culling has minimal long-term population impact due to rapid recolonisation from surrounding areas
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