Fox

For the television network, see Fox Broadcasting Company.

Fox
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Genus: Vulpes Species: Vulpes vulpes
Trinomial name
Vulpes corsac (Linnaeus, 1758)

Blanford's Fox (Vulpes cana) photographed in southern Israel. It is a small fox with a long, bushy tail. The tail is a counter-balance when running or climbing. This fox occurs in the mountainous parts of the Negev and Judean Deserts, on rocky slopes. They feed mostly on beetles, grasshoppers, ants and termites.

A fox is a small mammal. There are 27 species of fox. Foxes are carnivores: they hunt and eat live prey, mostly rabbits and rodents (rats and mice). They may also eat grasshoppers, birds' eggs, and even fruit and berries. Sometimes they eat carrion.

Foxes are the smallest members of the family Canidae. Canidae are mammals which are related to dogs. They are swift and agile runners, and live in family groups. A female fox is called a vixen. Foxes' plump bushy tail is easily visible. A fox can use its tail for sending signals to its family members. Part of the tail's function is to store fat for lean times.

Foxes are found throughout all continents (except Antarctica), inhabiting mostly forest, shrub land, and desert regions. They were not native to Australia, but were introduced in some way. In the United Kingdom, it was a common sport for people to hunt foxes with horses and dogs. This is now banned.

"Most agricultural damage is caused by rabbits, and this can be considerable. Yet in lowland areas, rabbits comprise 45 to 70 per cent of the diet of foxes... One study estimated that, over its lifetime, each fox was worth between £150 and £900 in increased revenue to farmers... A strong argument against killing foxes".