Wer den Fuchs aus seinem Garten fernhält, vermeidet Verunreinigungen, Wühlschäden und andere Ärgernisse. Wir stellen Ihnen wirksame und tiergerechte Produkte vor, die Sie sofort einsetzen können.
If you’re interested in learning more about foxes, then you should find this list of the top 8 factual books about foxes very interesting. All are easy to read and you’ll find out some amazing facts about these animals that live in such close proximitey to us.
J. David Henry spent over a decade studying rural foxes in Saskatchewan, Canada and wrote an enthusiastic book, Red Fox: The Catlike Canine, all about his incredibly in depth field experiments.
Though he can’t help but sneak in a few references to his studies, How To Spot A Fox is a much more straightforward manual for how to find foxes in rural areas. If you’re looking for a guide to finding foxes in urban areas, you need to look elsewhere.
In many cases, this book is also North American specific with frequent references to fox behaviour in relation to coyotes, wolves and bob cats, animals that we don’t have in the UK.
That being said, Dr Henry does offer some useful information that is helpful in finding and identifying foxes in any habitat, including things like:
Just like J David Henry’s other work, How To Spot A Fox contains excellent and thoroughly-studied information regarding the world of red foxes.
His knowledge of all aspects of fox life like how they find and build dens, how they interact with other foxes, what they heat and how they cache food is absolutely fascinating. It’s the kind of information that only someone who has dedicated a large proportion of their life to foxes could provide.
Even if you don’t live in rural Canada, How To Spot A Fox is a great read, packed full of facts and you’ll be far more knowledgeable about foxes by the end than you were at the start!
There are times when someone’s passion for a particular topic can actually be more interesting than the thing they are talking about. This is definitely the case when reading Dr J David Henry’s book, Red Fox: The Catlike Canine.
From the early 1970s to the mid 1980s, boreal ecologist Dr Henry spent 14 years researching rural red foxes in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada. This book recounts his incredibly in-depth experiments, which could be a bit of a tough read if they were relayed purely in scientific language.
Fortunately for the reader however, Henry injects some much-needed humility, good nature and humour into proceedings, resulting in a thoroughly entertaining and action-packed 8 chapters. When you read the lengths Dr Henry went to in order to get his results (e.g. watching foxes bury food over 500 times), you’ll realise that he needed every inch of his good humour to get through some very trying times.
Originally, Dr Henry was at Prince Albert National Park to work on a black bear management project, but became so captivated by the foxes, that he decided to research them instead, forming the basis of a PhD. His passion for the foxes is clear, as evidenced in the names he gives to the foxes he observes.
‘Rose’ is described as doing something the author had never seen a fox do. Pretending to sleep while waiting outside a mouse hole, suddenly springing into life after lulling the mouse into a false sense of security.
‘My Friend’ was a male fox that Henry spent time running after in the forest. He said it actually took him about a month before he was physically fit enough to keep up. Due to the lack of human contact in the forest, the fox was perfectly happy to be followed without being alarmed.
Another nice human touch is Henry’s description of laying out red fox and coyote bones on his kitchen table trying to work out bone densities. He describes the tedious process as ‘corporal punishment’ with his (very understanding) wife laughing at him cursing in frustration!
Putting the entertaining qualities of the book to one side, J David Henry does come up with some very useful findings as a result of his painstaking research.
His observation that foxes are very ‘catlike’, despite being part of the Canid family is particularly interesting and not something I’d considered before reading his book. The retractable claws, vertical slit pupils, tapetum lacidum (shiny ‘cats eye’) and sharp canines are just some of the physical attributes shared with cats.
When hunting, foxes also exhibit very feline characteristics. Foxes like to stealthily creep up quietly on their prey, belly down just like cats. They’ll also opt for a one bite kill as cats do, rather than the shaking technique usually employed by dogs.
The cat comparison really helps to explain why foxes are such successful hunters and able to adapt to virtually any environment they find themselves in.
Overall this is a fascinating study of rural foxes, carried out by a humane and intelligent man who is unswervingly passionate about his subject.
Dr J David Henry successfully walks the line between scientific and entertaining and this book is definitely recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about foxes.
It’s also a great look behind the curtain to see the amount of hard work that goes into studying nature, as well as the immense satisfaction you get from doing it.
My advice is: go out and waste a lot of time carefully observing your animals. You may be surprised at the insights you discover. You may be surprised at the undiscovered richness of wildlife societies. Simply observing wildlife in it’s natural habitat can [help with] the understanding, interpretation, and conservation of wildlife, the animals with whom we share this planet.
Dr J. David Henry – Red Fox: The Catlike Canine
The Cleanrth TSAR550 is an ultrasonic fox deterrent that protects your garden from foxes 24/7.
Using high-pitched sounds that are beyond the range of human hearing, the fox learns to associate your garden with these irritating and uncomfortable noises.
After installation you will see less and less of the fox, until it stops entering your garden completely.
No need to spray anything. Easy to install. Completely humane. The Cleanrth TSAR550 is the USA’s most popular automated fox deterrent, offering long term fox protection for your garden.
If you’re in the USA and you’ve been experiencing problems with foxes coming into your garden, then it’s probably safe to say that you’ve had enough of the pooing, digging and destruction, and you’re looking for something to stop it.
Foxes are particularly persistent creatures that place great importance on securing their territories. The main way they do this is by ‘scent-marking’ – pooing and spraying urine in prominent places to signal to neighbouring foxes that the territory is occupied.
Foxes are notoriously reluctant to give up their territories without a fight. So when it comes to deterring them with traditional scented repellents, people usually stop putting in the effort long before the fox has been deterred.
The main reason for people’s failure to deter foxes is because foxes need to face a sustained and persistent period of deterrence in order to get them to change their habits and stay away from your garden.
Too often, people buy a scented repellent, spray it around their garden a once or twice and think that should be enough. However, once or twice is not enough. Smells quickly fade, especially after rain, and the fox will be back again having considered the scented deterrent a brief inconvenience rather than a reason to stay away for good.
Normal service will quickly resume.
The successful way to use a scented deterrent is too apply it in your garden every couple of days for at least 2 weeks. This keeps the smell strong and is long enough to cause behavioural change in the fox, teaching it to associate your garden with the horrible smell (usually citronella).
The main problem with this method is that you’ve got to remember to get out in your garden regularly to apply this stuff.
What if it’s raining? What if you’re busy at work or with family? What about during vacations?
There are a large number of reasons why you might not be able to get into your garden as often as you need in order to successfully keep the fox away.
Even if you do manage to apply a scented deterrent and temporarily get rid of the fox, what happens in 2 or 3 months when the fox tries its luck again and discovers that the horrible smell has gone? You have to go through the whole process all over again.
Surely there must be an easier way?
The Cleanrth Ultrasonic Deterrent is a much easier alternative to traditional scented fox repellents because you don’t need to do anything else after you’ve set it up.
Installation is simple. All you need to do is screw in the plastic stake into the bottom of the unit, connect the included mains adapter (or 2 x 9 volt batteries – not included) and switch it on.
When the fox enters your garden and crosses the Cleanrth’s motion sensor, the unit lets out a few sharp bursts of high-pitched noise. This noise is like a fox burglar alarm, or the fox equivalent of scratching your fingernails down a chalkboard.
Each time the fox tries to enter your garden (and it will keep trying) it triggers the alarm. This causes the fox to change its behaviour – associating your garden with the horrible noise and learning to go somewhere else.
The Cleanrth TSAR550 will continue to do this every single time, regardless of the time of day or whether you’re in or out. You don’t need to remember to be out in your garden or do anything inconvenient that you haven’t got time for. The Cleanrth sits in your yard doing the hard work for you.
To get the best results from the Cleanrth Fox Repeller, try and find the place where the fox enters your garden and set up the unit facing that area.
The entry point is important because it means the fox will trigger the ultrasonic noises the moment it tries to enter your garden. This will be more effective and lead to quicker results than if the fox was allowed further into your garden before encountering the deterrent.
The Cleanrth unit comes with a power adapter (with 38ft cable) that you can plug into your electrical supply and it’s recommended by the manufacturer that you use it.
You can use 2 x 9 Volt batteries instead, but you then face the problem of having batteries go flat. If the batteries go flat and you don’t notice, the ultrasonic unit is effectively useless and the foxes won’t be facing a deterrent.
If you don’t have a plug socket nearby, it’s a good idea to get an extension cable that is suitable for use outside. You will get much better results using the power adapter.
Priced around $70, with mounting stake and including a 9V DC 500mA power adapter, the Cleanrth TSAR550 uses a triple scan infrared sensor that can detect foxes up to 66ft away in a 120 degree arc, which is suitable for all types of garden.
Low maintenance and very effective, the Cleanrth TSAR550 Ultrasonic Repeller has quickly become one of America’s most efective ways of keeping foxes away.
If you’re reading this article, then you’ve obviously got a dog that’s known in the trade as a ‘roller’. This article explains what to use to clean your dog to get rid of the smell of fox poo, why dogs do this and how to stop them doing it again in future.
When you have foxes in your local area then a normally simple task, such as letting your dog into the garden or off the leash in the local park, can quickly turn into a smelly nightmare.
You’ve got to try and intercept them before they bring the poo into the house (or in the car) and then find a way of getting them into the bath without getting it on yourself.
All in all, it’s a horrible and time consuming job and after all that effort, there’s no guarantee that your regular dog shampoo will actually get rid of the stink.
So what can you use to wash your dog instead?
As you know, fox poo is particularly pungent and the smell can linger even after you’ve washed your dog.
This is because a lot of dog shampoos don’t contain any form of deodoriser, so though the germs may be gone, the disgusting smell still remains – not nice for you and your family, even if your dog doesn’t mind!
What you need is a dog shampoo that is tough enough to get rid of the germs and remove the smell, while also remaining kind to your dog’s skin.
Animology is a British brand that specialises in pet care products and they have developed a fox poo-specific shampoo to use on dogs.
Not only does the shampoo contain the all-important deodoriser for getting rid of the foul smell of fox poo, the formula also is low on lather so that it’s easy to rinse, therefore avoiding the long drawn out process of trying to get all the suds out under the shower. This should be particularly reassuring for those with long-haired dogs.
The in-built conditioner, containing Pro Vitamin B5, ensures that the coat will be left soft, shiny and smelling much nicer, enabling you to let your dog near you again without wincing.
The Animology Fox Poo Shampoo is suitable for all breeds of dog and is gentle enough to be used on puppies.
There’s no definitive answer on why dogs love rolling in fox poo, cow pats, dead animals and other things we find disgusting. However it is worth noting that just because you find a certain smell unpleasant, it doesn’t mean your dog does.
Other members of the Canidae family, like foxes, place great importance on the smell of faeces ranging from territory marking to reminders of where food is buried.
It’s quite possible that the desire to roll in something smelly is a leftover instinct passed down from your dog’s ancestors as a way of showing the other members of the pack where they had been that day.
Alternatively, it could be as a way of disguising its own smell from prey, enabling the dogs to sneak up without being detected.
Dog behaviouralists are keen to point out that a dog rolling around in poo is not doing something strange or abnormal. It’s annoying to you the owner, but in terms of dog behaviour, it’s perfectly acceptable.
In order to discourage your dog from rolling in poo, then you could try a remote activated dog collar, whereby you press a button that causes a vibration in the dog’s collar when it is doing something you dislike.
Alternatively, you could just make a loud disapproving noise every time your dog does it so that it begins to associate rolling in poo with your displeasure.
If your dog likes to roll in fox poo in your garden, then the best way to stop it happening again is to get to the source of the problem and deter foxes from coming into your garden.
When ‘Fox Wars’ was first advertised on the BBC, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect and I was slightly concerned that the documentary was going to concentrate only on the negative aspects of foxes.
However, upon watching it, I was pleased to find that it was a very balanced programme, looking at both fox lovers and fox dislikers, as well as showing the complexities that occur in the world of fox control.
Importantly, it also looked at foxes in urban areas and the countryside and resisted the temptation of looking only at London’s urban foxes, though of course, the topic of foxes in London was covered.
Narrated by the always-excellent Rebecca Front, the show introduced us to some interesting characters.
On the pro-fox side, we had the quite anti-social Nobby from Barnet, who enjoyed feeding foxes in his junk-filled back garden, much to the annoyance of some of his neighbours.
In amongst his old oil drums, barbeques, plastic containers and bricks, Nobby feeds a combination of cat and dog food to the fox, with the fox responding eagerly to his calls.
If Nobby was a fox lover who came across as a bit of an oddball in a street that was very anti-fox, we were also introduced to the more likeable Kate, who lives in a cul-de-sac in Nottingham in which her and her neighbours are all very keen fox watchers.
They regularly put out food and watch from behind a curtain, enjoying watching and learning from the foxes’ behaviour.
One of the anti-fox brigade is the outspoken Janet, from Newport in South Wales:
“If I can hit it unconscious, then I will, then put it in a dustbin and and drive it down to the nearest tip!”
She’d had enough of foxes pooing in her garden. The smell and discolouration of her lawn had caused her to buy several fox deterrent products (details below).
The camera crew set up a camera in her garden and it’s worth watching just to see her reaction when she’s shown the footage!
Again, to balance out loud Janet, just down the road from Nobby is Sophia, a mild mannered fox disliker, who just wants to protect her bantam hens rather than cause any harm to the fox.
She also lists a variety of fox repellents she’s tried, though reveals her brother and father drew the line at urinating around the garden as a means of deterring the fox.
While fun and interesting to watch, these people aren’t really surprising – urban dwellers, who either like or dislike foxes.
However, what this documentary reveals, and something that is very under-discussed, is that there are differing opinions between fox controllers who are brought in to deal with the fox situation.
On the one hand, we have Tim, who is an experienced fox controller with a gun licence and specialises in shooting foxes in urban areas with his silenced rifle.
While Tim is an animal lover, he also has no problem with humanely shooting foxes if it helps to solve the problems of people who have asked him to sort it out.
On the other hand, we see Terry and Graham from Fox-a-gon, who specialise in “evicting and moving foxes on” rather than destroying them.
They would rather move a fox on from the place where it’s causing a nuisance, instead of killing it only for another fox to come and take it’s place within a week to ten days.
We also see Terry volunteering for The Fox Project, a charity that looks after sick or injured foxes and has released almost 10,000 foxes back into the wild.
Terry also makes one of the most profound statements of the documentary:
“All this that we see around us, this beautiful landscape, with it’s vast variety of flora and fauna, all runs in balance and harmony. If you start taking out what you don’t like – the squirrels, the badgers, the foxes – then you end up with nothing.”
We also get a perspective on foxes in the countryside from Tony in Oxfordshire, a farmer who has lost a massive 36 chickens to a fox in one session (we get to see the devastating crime scene), and David, a sheep farmer from the South East, who has a couple of his lambs destroyed by a fox.
Their frustration at losing animals (and therefore money) to a fox is very understandable.
The point is also made that in the vast open ares of the country, bringing in fox controllers to shoot foxes is their only option, as they can’t employ the same fox repellent methods that you can in enclosed urban gardens.
Lee, a fox controller who has shot around 2,300 foxes in ten years, is brought in to deal with the lamb-killing fox on David’s farm.
He makes the interesting point that many people who like foxes just see the cute and cuddly red fur, but they don’t see the damage that a fox can do to the business of a sheep or chicken farmer.
This is a valid opinion and it’s the presentation of views like this that makes the documentary so interesting.
In conclusion, Fox Wars is a very well-made and though-provoking documentary about foxes and how they impact our lives.
It steers well clear of tabloid-style sensationalism, presenting a balanced view and allowing the viewer to make their own mind up about their feelings for foxes.
Some interesting facts the documentary told us were:
Fox Repellent Products shown in the documentary are:
4m22s – Brown Fence Wall Spikes
8m10s – Foxolutions Scoot Fox Repellent
A recent radio interview (below) on BBC Radio London featured a professional fox controller. He makes his living shooting foxes in urban areas, mainly in people’s back gardens.
As he made clear in the interview, foxes are protected under a variety of animal cruelty acts, however they are not afforded special protection, as Badgers are, for example.
This means that is perfectly legal to employ someone to come to your home and shoot a nuisance fox, as long as they have the appropriate firearms licences and carry out the killing in accordance with animal cruelty laws.
At first glance, this may seem like a very simple solution to the fox problems you’ve been experiencing at home.
Make a phone call. Bang! Job done. No more fox.
Sounds simple, right?
Well, it is and it isn’t.
It’s true that shooting a fox (or foxes) will rid your garden of the fox instantly and the fox controller will even take away the body for you, so you don’t have to deal with the clean up operation afterwards.
However, if you listen to the interview, you’ll hear the reality of what happens when you get someone in to remove a fox by lethal means.
The description of what happens when a fox controller comes to your home starts at 3m 22s:
While I don’t agree with lethal means to remove foxes, this is certainly not intended as an attack on professional fox controllers.
I’m sure many provide a very professional service and operate well within the law. It’s merely an observation of what you can expect to happen should you employ their services.
Another important point mentioned in the interview is the issue of what happens once the neighbouring foxes realise that your garden is no longer occupied by the previous fox?
Will they respect the memory of the previous fox and allow it’s territory to remain vacant?
Definitely not. They’ll be battling it out amongst themselves, by pooing, urinating and fighting, in order to claim a lovely new living space.
Your particular problem fox may be gone, but the professional fox controller will still recommend that you ‘fox-proof’ your garden by using a recognised fox deterrent in order to prevent another fox from moving in.
If you’re comfortable with what will happen when a fox controller comes to your home to deal with the fox and you’re happy with the cost, then by all means go ahead and give one a call.
However, I imagine that a lot of you will not be comfortable with what you’ve heard/read and will be much more interested in finding a humane and non-lethal way of deterring foxes from your garden.
Deterring foxes humanely is absolutely possible with a little bit of persistence. You’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re not responsible for the death of an innocent animal or having spent hundreds of pounds to achieve it.
There are several things you can do to make your garden less attractive to foxes, but the most important thing is to locate where the fox enters your garden.
Foxes are creatures of habit and usually come in at the same point. So that is the best place to target with a fox deterrent, putting the fox off your garden as soon as it tries to enter.
One of the best ways to do this is by using the FoxWatch Ultrasonic Fox Deterrent.
The FoxWatch is a small unit that lets out blasts of high-pitched noise every time a fox crosses it’s infrared motion sensor. The 40 – 45kHz noise is too high for humans to hear, but is at a pitch that provides a great irritation to foxes.
By placing the FoxWatch facing the area the fox comes into your garden, any fox will immediately set off this ‘fox burglar alarm’ as soon as it tries to enter.
Over a short amount of time, the fox effectively changes it’s behaviour, learning to associate your garden with the noise, reducing it’s visits before stopping coming in completely.
The best thing about the FoxWatch is that it acts as a constant deterrent, deterring foxes 24 hours a day, whether you’re in or out. It doesn’t require you to be constantly monitoring it as you would if you used a spray or scented deterrent, which naturally gets weaker over time or after heavy rainfall.
The FoxWatch is designed to sit outside, proving the persistence needed to successfully deter foxes without you needing to get involved – particularly useful if you’re out at work all day and your garden unattended.
Simple to set up, the FoxWatch can be powered by mains adapter or a 9 Volt Duracell battery and acts as an effective, humane and low maintenance fox deterrent, without the guilt or high cost associated with getting in someone with a rifle.
When looking around the Internet at information related to foxes, it’s quite difficult to find exact information on legal protection that is afforded to foxes.
It’s fairly common to see discussion about generic ‘laws’ that protect foxes or actions that are ‘against the law’. But usually these discussions do not cover exactly which laws protect foxes and what actions are outlawed.
We felt it would be helpful to compile this list as a resource for people to see exactly how foxes are protected legally in the UK. This list will be in a constant state of revision as new laws are passed or more information comes to light.
• Placing poisoned baits with the specific intention of killing foxes is illegal.
• Trapped and/or captive animals must be treated and killed humanely.
• Live baits and decoys are prohibited.
• Self-locking snares are prohibited.
• The use of bows or crossbows to kill foxes is prohibited.
• Only products registered under these regulations are legally allowed to be used in gardens.
• The FoxWatch Ultrasonic Deterrent is a favourite among many to deter foxes as it relies on high-pitched sound rather than scent or chemicals to keep foxes out of the garden.
• Scent-based products like Scoot Fox Repellent and Get Off My Garden are registered and permitted under these regulations.
• Renardine is not permitted under these regulations.
• All fox repellent products included in our Top 10 Fox Repellents article are permitted to be used in deterring foxes.
(NOTE: The Agriculture Act (1947) permits gassing of fox dens in order to kill foxes, however as no gas-based products are currently registered under the Control of Pesticide Regulations (1986), in effect, gassing fox dens to kill foxes is illegal.)
• Destroying, blocking, or filling up a fox earth that contains live foxes is an offence under this act.
• Hunting wild mammals (including foxes) with dogs in Scotland, England and Wales with dogs is illegal.
• Northern Ireland is not covered by these acts.
There are exceptions to the ban on hunting:
• Stalking and flushing out with up to two dogs, provided that the wild mammal is shot as soon as possible after it is flushed from cover;
• Using a single dog underground to flush out wild mammals in order to protect birds kept for shooting (the gamekeepers exemption)
• Using up to two dogs to search for an injured animal, provided that appropriate action is taken to relieve the animal of its suffering as soon as possible after it is found, and that it was not deliberately injured in order for it to be hunted under this exemption.
• The exemptions must also have the permission of the land owners or occupiers.
• Any snares that are placed must be checked once per day. Neglecting to do this could be considered an offence.
Information courtesy of NaturalEngland.org.uk
This is some edited footage from the BBC’s fabulous Natural World series, featuring a Tibetan Fox and a Brown Bear hunting Pikas in the Tibetan Himalayas. As David Attenborough mentions in the film, the Tibetan Fox is an amazing-looking fox with it’s chiseled jaw and semi-smile.
One of the many fascinating things about this clip is, although this fox is thousands of miles away from the UK, it still displays some classic behavioural traits that we see everyday among the urban foxes in our back gardens. The fox shows its ability to survive in what we would consider a hostile environment, and shows its opportunistic side by letting the bear do all the hard work before sneaking in to capture the pika.
This Tibetan fox also exhibits the practise of burying half-eaten prey to come back to at a later date, which is exactly what UK foxes do in our gardens, much to the annoyance of many proud gardeners.
A superb piece of footage that really shows just how similar the behaviour of a Tibetan Fox high up in the Himalayas is to the Red Foxes we find in our urban areas across the UK.
Understanding the way foxes behave and in particular, what they are doing and why at different times of year, is very important to successfully deterring them from your garden.
For example, during February each year, pregnant vixens will be looking for a secure spot to make a den in preparation for the birth of her cubs.
Knowing this means that during late Jan/early Feb, you can ensure that any tempting places for foxes (e.g. under sheds or decking) can be blocked up in advance, avoiding the disruption caused by a litter of cubs in your back garden.
The first month of the year is peak mating season as foxes only breed once per year and there are just a few days where the vixens are in heat. Around this time, expect an increase in screams, barks and fights, as communication and jostling for position is incredibly important to foxes in order to successfully find a mate.
As previously mentioned, vixens who have successfully mated will be looking for a place to have her cubs. Vixens are pregnant for 53 days, so you need to make sure that any appealing areas are blocked off and inaccessible. Vixens like safe and secure places which can typically be found under houses, garages, sheds, decking and even in heavy undergrowth. Use this time to perform any last minute checks in vulnerable areas in your garden. It’s far less stressful to secure your garden ahead of time, rather than facing the smell and mess caused by cubs as well as an aggressive vixen trying to protect them.
The peak birthing season. Vixens will be settled into their dens to have and initially look after the cubs, so increased pressure is on the males to forage, hunt and bring food back for her in the den.
April is a time when foxes start to moult and lose their winter coat. It’s during this period that people often mistakenly think they see foxes suffering from mange or malnutrition. Although mange does exist, often what you are seeing is simply a fox naturally shedding it’s coat to prepare for the warmer summer months. The loss of the thick, fluffy coat makes foxes look thinner and their legs look longer and is simply part of a natural process. So bear this in mind during April, before automatically assuming a scruffy-looking fox has mange.
Cubs will really be old enough and brave enough to venture out of the den during May and they will start to practise their survival skills. What this means for you is an increase in digging (maybe for earthworms, or just as an excuse to practise digging!), noisy play-fighting and the potential for things from your garden (e.g. shoes, gardening gloves, small animal or kids toys) going missing or being chewed. May is a really important time to get things put away at night otherwise you face the prospect of foxes using them as hunting or chewing practice. An important time to have your favoured fox repellent product set up and in working order.
Those of you who didn’t manage to prevent foxes from breeding in your garden may be able to breathe a sigh of relief as June is normally the month when the foxes leave the earth they used for breeding. You might find an extensive clear up operation is needed with bones, animal carcasses and garden toys or items all being common things found in and around the entrance to a fox den.
The cubs will be far less dependent on their parents for food now and will be very visible as they start to hunt for themselves. Again, digging will be apparent as will flattened flowerbeds and the potential for stolen garden items. Make sure the temptations for a fox in your garden are kept to a minimum and keep up your fox deterrent efforts.
Through the summer months, foxes are going to be more visible than in winter. This is partly to do with the light evenings and you being outside more, and also to do with adults foraging for food in order to give their cubs the best chance of survival. Cubs learning how to be adults will also be very visible and in August particularly they will be taking more and more risks as they grow bigger, more confident and increasingly independent from their parents.
By the close of summer cubs are now fully grown adults and you will no longer be able to tell the difference between cubs and adults. This is just before the family group starts to break up so still expect a lot of similar activity to the previous summer months and stay vigilant!
For those who have had foxes nearby all summer, you may start to see slightly fewer sightings than before. Of course it will be colder, the nights darker and you spending increasing time indoors, but the fox families will start to go their separate ways. Whether it’s the young ousting their parents or the young moving on, new territories will be sought. So for those who haven’t seen many foxes throughout the year, October could be a time when you start to have sightings as foxes seek to establish their own territories.
Some similar behaviour to the previous month with establishing of new territories, but November is probably the quietest time in the fox calendar, particularly as far as we humans are concerned.
The final month of the year becomes much more lively again. You will notice an increase in noise and screaming because of some serious defending and fighting for control of territories in the build up to the January mating season.
To be honest, for such a well known animal that lives with many of us in such close quarters, there aren’t too many books dedicated to foxes, let alone fox repellent methods.
Foxes usually get a chapter or a section in broader wildlife books, or perhaps studies in specialist journals, but very rarely will you find in-depth analysis specifically about foxes, that are easily available to the general public.
Below are listed the few books that do concentrate solely on foxes. All listed here are very good in helping to understand the life of a fox and their unique behaviours.
If you were considering buying a book on foxes, I hope that by bringing these publications together in one article you find it easier to see what is available to you.
The list is an ongoing resource and will be added to as I discover further useful books on foxes.
Stephen Harris is a Professor of Environmental Sciences at Bristol University and is generally regarded as an authority on urban foxes, having had papers published in the likes of the Journal of Animal Ecology BBC Wildlife Magazine and the Journal of Mammalogy, amongst many others.
Likewise, Dr Phil Baker is an academic at Reading University and has also published many papers on wildlife and mammals in a range of specialist journals.
Harris and Baker consolidate their huge knowledge of foxes in this comprehensive book foxes.
A pleasant surprise is that despite their academic backgrounds, the book is written in an informative and entertaining way, making it easy for the layperson to understand.
It’s excellent in explaining the behaviour of foxes. If you understand how and why foxes behave as they do, you will find you will have more success in deterring them.
Equally, if you enjoy having foxes in your garden, then this book is an excellent companion to you fox watching!
BUY URBAN FOXES »»
This is an updated and revised version of a book originally published some years ago and now includes a foreword by everyone’s favourite wildlife expert, Chris Packham.
Chris Packham isn’t going to risk his credentials for a subpar book and there is no danger of that here. Trevor Harris is a former musician who is perhaps more well known as the founder of the Fox Project Charity.
The Fox Project does excellent work in the world of foxes, including fox rescue and rehabilitation.
John Bryant is an animal welfare expert who also runs the Humane Wildlife Deterrence Association and has been heavily involved at the upper echelons of the RSPCA. So you can be sure both authors have a wealth of experience and, to put it bluntly, know what they are talking about!
The excellent book clearly explains the behaviour of foxes in simple terms, plus it gives very usable advice on deterrent ideas and techniques to help foxes keep away.
BUY A HOUSEHOLDER’S GUIDE TO FOX DETERRENCE »»
Did you know that there are far more types of foxes than the common urban fox we often see in our towns and cities? This type of fox is called the Red Fox (vulpes vulpes) and is the most common type of fox in the world.
However, there are a range of other types of foxes that can be found from the arctic circle to the Himalayas and I have written a few brief articles giving information on each.
A Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes)
These foxes are the most common type of fox in the world and are the type that we find in urban areas and who come into our gardens in the UK. It used to be that grey wolves were the most common canines across the globe, however it has now been officially documented that the red fox has overtaken them.
Vulpes Vulpes (to give the red fox it’s latin name) are actually part of the dog family, albeit the smallest members and can grow up to around 5kgs when fully grown. Their life expectancy is quite wide ranging and can differ depending on whether their habitat is in the city or in the countryside. Many cubs don’t make it past 2 years old, although foxes held in captivity have been known to live for 15 years.
The mating season for foxes normally occurs in December and January and their mating rituals often involves blood curdling screaming as a form of communication. Red fox cubs (or kits) are born into a fox ‘earth’ (a den located in a secluded place) and usually only leave after a few weeks. The red fox cubs become independent at around 3 or 4 months and can start to produce offspring of their own after about 1 year.
The Red Fox is able to live in all sorts of adverse conditions and is very adaptable to it’s environment. Hence it’s success in surviving in urban areas, particularly in the cities of London and Bristol. They have been known to feed on lots of different prey which has helped their survival. Mice, voles and rats are common prey but they also earthworms as well as food scraps left out in gardens.
The red fox can often divide opinion in urban areas, with some people enjoying them and encourage the fox into their gardens, whilst others see them as a pest and seek to purchase various fox repellent products to keep the foxes away. In the countryside too, farmers often have a love-hate relationship with the red fox. On the one hand the fox is seen as a danger to chickens and lambs, on the other they keep rabbits and rodents off of farmland. Some common fox deterrent methods in the country are snares, fox traps and electric fences.
The red fox has undergone some harsh treatment throughout the ages through fox hunting, the fox fur trade and a recent backlash caused by a few high profile fox attacks on humans. The red fox is however a very durable creature and far from declining, their numbers seem to be steadily increasing, meaning that love them or hate them, the red fox is here to stay.
A Bengal Fox (Vulpes Bengalensis)
In India, Bangladesh and Nepal, the most common type of fox is the Bengal Fox. When compared with the common red fox, it is much slighter in appearance and has a more pointed nose along with a distinct black tip on it’s tail. Commonly weighing between 2-4kgs and with a life expectancy of around 11 years, the Bengal Fox enjoys hunting alone at either end of the day, out of the intense heat of it’s surroundings.
Like the red fox, the Bengal fox likes to dig a complicated network of tunnels to use as a hiding place and to give birth to and bring up their young. The litter varies between 3-6 cubs and the diet of the Bengal Fox is quite varied, ranging from rodents to insects to fruit.
Interestingly, studies have shown that the Bengal fox does not mark it’s territory with urine or faeces. This is unusual because defecation to claim an area is a very defining characteristic of the red fox, as many frustrated gardeners will testify to in urban areas!
Unfortunately the Bengal Fox is not thriving like it’s red counterparts. The threat of man is increasingly cutting the numbers of Bengal foxes due to both habitat destruction and hunting. The Bengal fox’s preferred areas to inhabit are open pieces of grassy land and scrub. Due to the increase of converting land for use in agriculture and a lack of land protection in the Indian subcontinent, the habitats of the Bengal fox are getting smaller and smaller, obviously causing a decrease in it’s numbers.
The foxes are also hunted for sports, for their fur in addition to some Indian tribes using fox teeth and tails in some medicines, believing them to have healing qualities. It is also not unknown for some people to catch the Bengal fox in order to eat it’s meat. Despite the Indian government issuing legislation in 1991 that forbids the hunting of Bengal foxes, because of the reasons given above, the legislation has had a limited impact and has failed to stop the decline in numbers.
Alas it appears that the Bengal fox is a member of the fox family that is not going to survive for too many more generations, as in addition to a lack of habitat and hunting, the fox also faces a threat from wolves, dogs and disease (namely rabies and canine distemper). One would hope the vulpes bengalensis will make a bit of a comeback, but at the moment it unfortunately looks like a decline that will not be reversed.
Blanford’s Fox (Vulpes cana)
Also known as the Afghan Fox, Blanford’s Foxes are mainly found in the middle east. In actual fact, not too much is know about Blanford’s fox, but it tends to live in areas with little or no vegetation, having a light coloured coat that helps it blend into it’s arid and rocky surroundings.
There was a time when the Blanford’s Fox was considered seriously in danger of extinction, however it has since been downgraded on the ICUN Red List to be of relatively low risk of extinction.
The Latin name for the Blanford’s fox is Vulpes Cana and it gets it’s name from the English naturalist William Thomas Blanford, who spent a lot of time in the middle east and the fox was named in honour of him upon it’s discovery in 1877.
Blanford’s foxes have a cream coloured fur with black flecks, a black tail tip and black fur running alongside the nose. It also has very large pointed ears which would suggest it has excellent hearing. The foxes have a long bushy tail which is a similar length to their body and probably helps the Blanford’s fox to balance when it is negotiating large rocks and steep slopes in it’s mountainous habitat. The Blandford’s Fox has often been compared to more of a wild cat in appearance rather than to it’s canine origins.
The foxes stick to one partner throughout their lives but they hunt individually. As with the Red Fox, the mating season is normally around January, but pup litters are smaller at around 1-3 pups. The pups are fed on milk in their hidden dens until about the age of 2 months. After around 4 months, the Blanford’s fox will start to hunt alone.
Although humans are less of a threat to Blanford foxes, than to other types of foxes, they can be preyed upon by red foxes, wild cats and golden eagles. Because of the rough terrain they inhabit, the Blanford’s fox is usually unable to tunnel underground, instead resorting to gaps in rocks and naturally occurring caves, thus making them more vulnerable to predators.
A Cape Fox (Vulpes chama)
Also known as the Silver Fox or the Silver Jackal, the Cape Fox is mainly found in the southern part of Africa. Quite a small fox, with a weight of between 3-5kgs, the Cape Fox usually has silver coloured fur on it’s back (hence it’s other name) blending into a yellowy underbelly, big ears and a black tip on the end of it’s tail.
The areas the Cape Fox likes to inhabit are grasslands, arid terrain, scrubland and savanahs. The foxes like to burrow and create their own underground tunnel network, though they are also commonly known to take over the dens of other burrowing animals, provided they have been abandoned first. Litter size can range from anywhere between 1-6 cubs and the cubs are brought up in these underground lairs until they are old enough to hunt for themselves, which usually occurs at around 5 months. The young Cape Foxes can mate as early as 9 months (a little earlier than the Red Fox) and can expect to live between 6-10 years
Living in the plains of southern Africa, the Cape Fox does have a wide variety of predators to watch out for, including eagles, hyenas and lions as well as being susceptible to rabies. Humans are also a threat in terms of hunting, poisoning and being hit by cars. Currently, however, the Cape Fox is not losing it’s habitat and the Cape Fox population is considered to be quite healthy.
Indeed, some southern African farmers like the Cape Fox because of their propensity for catching rodents. But they are considered to be omnivores, eating both meat and plant life and are quite likely to eat anything they can in true opportunist style.
Unfortunately, Cape Foxes (or Vulpes Chama) are often involved in cases of mistaken identity with jackals (explaining their alias of ‘Silver Jackals’) and are often killed by farmers who are intending to stop jackals attacking their livestock. There is also a debate amongst farmers as to whether the Cape Fox actively hunts and kills farmstock, or whether they simply feats on carcasses that have been caught and left by other animals. This argument about the Cape Fox seems to be ongoing and unresolved.
The specific countries where the Cape Fox inhabits are Namibia, South Africa, Botswana Zimbabwe and Lesotho. Because the Cape Fox is so adaptable and not fussy in it’s diet, it is able to thrive in many different areas of these southern African countries.
A Corsac Fox (Vulpes corsac)
The Vulpes Corsac, or the Corsac Fox, are common to countries such as south eastern Russia, Mongolia and Afghanistan and can thrive in all sorts of conditions, including deserts. They are wanderers, not being particularly tied to one place and have been known to cover fairly vast distances.
Much more meat eating than other foxes, the Corsac Fox can survive for long periods without water but they will eat insects and plants if needs be. In order to blend in with it’s surroundings, the Corsac Fox has a very distinctive summer and winter coat. The summer coat tends to be a yellowy-grey fur, while in winter it becomes sandier and redder in colour and smoother and silkier to the touch. Their weight can vary between 1.5 – 3.5 kgs and it is guesstimated that their life expectancy is around 9 years.
The Corsac Fox likes to avoid snow (which is frequent in it’s habitats) and will often hide in shallow burrows they have dug themselves or in burrows created by other animals. They are also prepared to migrate to warmer climates in extreme conditions in search of food and reports suggest they like to follow herds of other migrating animals who will trample down the snow and create a pathway. It has been noted in history that particularly harsh winters can have a huge impact on the Corsac’s numbers, though the numbers of the fox have traditionally soon jumped back up again within a couple of generations.
Strong sense of smell and hearing, as well as good strong claws are characteristics of the Corsac Fox. The strong claws make it good at climbing big rocks and trees, however the Corsac is relatively slow for a fox, making it susceptible to being caught by bigger predators such as birds of prey.
Due to their bushy and silky fur, the Corsac Fox is also hunted by humans and over the years, the Corsac Fox pelts have come in and out of fashion, meaning that their numbers have gone up and down. At the moment however, Corsac fox fur is not particularly fashionable and, although not too much data is know about the Corsac fox population, they are not considered to be endangered.
Importantly, it is worth mentioning that Blanford’s foxes are sometimes know as Corsacs, however the two varieties of foxes are different and should not be confused.
A Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis)
Vulpes macrotis or the Kit Fox is a small fox that can be found in North America and Mexico and can be recognised by it’s big ears and grey and rust coloured fur. Usually the male is slightly bigger than the female. The Kit Fox is actually the smallest type of fox in north America and can be compared to roughly the size of a pet cat. In the winter, the Kit Fox will be a greyish colour across their backs, which turns to a reddish tan during the summer. The Kit Fox also has a big bushy tail with a black tip at the end. The big ears help them to dissipate heat which is helpful in the hot American deserts.
The Kit Foxes are quite adaptable and will make their homes anywhere they feel comfortable. These can very from the traditional underground den to structures created by man, such as drains, pipe networks and in holes underneath buildings.
Mating season for the Kit Fox is between December-March and a typical litter will result in 3-5 cubs. Special dens are created for the cubs to be raised and often the Kit Fox will created multiple dens with multiple rooms. The young will tend to leave the family after around 5months, although some young females have been known to stay longer. The Kit Fox will normally grow to around 2.5kgs and life expectancy is around 7 years.
In terms of diet, the Kit Fox is mainly carnivorous, preying upon squirrels, small birds, rodents and rats. They will also eat vegetation and insects if the presence of meat is scarce and will mainly hunt at night.
The biggest threats to the Kit Fox are the bigger Red Foxes and coyotes. Man has also had an impact on the Kit Fox population in terms of traffic, hunting and poisoning and much of the fox’s traditional habitats have been destroyed. Fields converted into homes for grazing animals, means that much of the Kit Fox’s natural prey has been destroyed. Because of the decline in numbers, the Kit Fox has actually been put on the endangered list in California.
A Pale Fox (Vulpes pallida)
Not much is known about the Pale Fox, which can be found in the region between the Sahara Desert and the savannas of Sudan in Africa. The Pale Fox also goes by the name of the Pallid Fox or the African Sand Fox.
Because of the sandy and desert terrain that the Pale Fox inhabits, the high heat causes them to spend most of the day underground out of the direct sunlight. The Pale Fox has been known to dig tunnels and dens as far as 2m down and they rest in these before coming out at sunset to hunt for prey.
The Pale Fox is an omnivorous animal and will eat anything from plants and vegetation to insects and small rodents. Water is often a rare commodity in the African Sahel and the Pale Fox has survived such dry conditions because of it’s ability to take the water it needs from it’s food. This means that the Pale Fox does not have to worry about finding a watering hole to survive.
The Latin name of the Pale Fox is the Vulpes Pallida and there are actually 5 subspecies of this type of fox. Characterised by a thin nose and large ears, the Pale Fox is a sandy-brown colour with a black-tipped bushy tail. They usually weigh around 2-3kgs and females give birth to litters of 3-5 cubs. Preliminary studies have shown that Pale Foxes are actually social and communal in their behaviour, often sharing tunnels and burrows with other foxes.
It is estimated that the Pale Fox does not live longer than 10 years, but as with much of the information regarding this type of fox, further studies need to be conducted as the current evidence is inconclusive. It is not even known what or if the Pale Fox has any predators, however they are not considered to be an endangered species.
Rueppell’s Fox (Vulpes rueppellii)
Named after the German naturist Eduard Rueppell (who also had many other species take his name), Rueppell’s Fox can be found across North Africa and the Middle East. Another fox that inhabits desert areas, Rueppell’s Fox has very large ears that help to keep it cool in very high temperatures. With a white tuft of fur at the end of it’s tail and a red sandy tinge to it’s fur, Rueppell’s Foxes have hairy pads on the bottom of their feet. This helps them to walk on desert sand that reaches excruciating temperatures.
The scent glands of Rueppell’s Fox are very important to it’s way of life and interaction with other foxes and predators. Territories are marked, greetings are made and predators are sprayed all with their scent glands. The glands are important to the female when raising young as she will mark the den with her scent.
Very nocturnal, Rueppell’s foxes are quick to vacate their dens are either find or create a new one if they are disturbed. A typical Rueppell’s Fox litter will contain 2-3 cubs and after mating season, Rueppell’s Foxes break from their monogamous way of life and travel in fairly large groups. The fox pups will branch out on their own after around 4 months and by 12 months will be ready to mate, which usually occurs in winter.
As with so many foxes, Rueppell’s Foxes are opportunistic and adaptable eating mainly insects, but also a wide variety of food from eggs, small mammals and vegetation. They normally hunt alone will also hunt for chickens and other livestock if presented with the chance. Their main predators are eagle owls and steppe eagles and a wild Rueppell’s Fox can expect to live for around 7 years.
A Tibetan Sand Fox (Vulpes ferrilata)
The Tibetan Sand Fox lives at high altitudes in and around the Tibetan Plateau and thrives in mountainous grasslands and deserts. Some of the countries where the Sand Fox is found is Bhutan, Nepal and China.
The Tibetan Sand Fox is distinguishable because of it’s large, box-shaped head. Coupled with it’s small ears, it has an almost comical and out of proportion appearance. The foxes usually have white tips at the ends of their tails with a pale white underbelly and an reddish-grey coloured fur and weigh approximately 4-5kgs.
When they find a mate, they are monogamous and the male and females share hunting and raising the cubs between them. The Tibetan Sand Foxes are also know to be relatively relaxed about living in close quarters to other fox families, making them less territorial than other fox varieties. A typical litter of Tibetan Sand Foxes is between 2-4 cubs and they are brought up in a den, which may have several entrances and be secluded by a boulder or a crevice. The Tibetan Sand Fox cubs will be ready to fend for themselves aged 8-10 months and will go off to hunt and make families of their own.
Humans and disease are the main threats to the Tibetan Fox. Humans hunting the foxes are not really a problem because the Tibetan Fox’s fur is too rough and coarse to be of any great value. Dogs quite commonly attack the foxes and also some governments in the region have taken to culling great numbers of pikas, which has arguably impacted on them. In certain areas of China, the Tibetan Sand Fox is heavily affected by different forms of tapeworm which can cause disease such as alveola hydatid disease and echinococcus.
All in all, not too much is known about the Tibetan Sand Fox and it is rumoured that the BBC programme Planet Earth (shown in 2006) was actually the first time these foxes had ever been filmed. Obviously more studies need to go into the Tibetan Fox in order to build a better picture of it’s behavioural habits.
In 2012, the Channel 4 series ‘Foxes Live: Wild In The City’ conducted a survey throughout the running of the series.
The survey asked viewers a vast range of questions including what their most common issue or problem that they faced from the urban fox.
By the final episode of the series, approximately 10,000 people from around the UK took part and here are the results to that particular question:
Not surprisingly, foxes fouling was the biggest problem reported by the viewers. It’s an annoying problem and is caused because foxes use their excrement and urine as a way of marking their territory. I have written an article that goes into further detail on What Can Be Done To Stop Foxes Fouling?.
At number two is the loud noise foxes make. It can be taken as read that noise actually refers to the loud blood curdling screams that foxes are well-known to let out. Used as a way to communicate and during the mating season, the screams can be loud and very off putting. If you live in an urban area with a large fox population, this is a problem that will be familiar. While there is no product that can make a fox stop screaming, there are things you can do to keep foxes at a safe distance to minimise the impact of the noise. I have written about this in Why Do Foxes Scream & What Can I Do?.
Foxes digging up the garden is also another common complaint was third in the survey of fox problems. The main cause of digging is foxes simply looking for food. Annoying if you have just planted some new flowers, or the fox has dug up the remains of a dead pet. I have discussed this issue further in What To Do About Foxes Digging Up Your Garden.
There are no surprises really in this particular part of the survey, and although there are a variety of problems, the solution to deterring foxes from your property are similar whatever the problems they cause. Reading the advice in the articles I have linked to above should assist you greatly in keeping foxes away and solving these issues.
Other interesting facts and figures from the Foxes Live: Wild In The City survey were:
