You probably don’t have wolves living near your house, but chances are, foxes live there. Why haven’t you seen them? Foxes are small, for one thing. Most weigh only 6 to 8 pounds.
They can run up to 30 miles an hour and they’re stealthy too. Foxes are nocturnal, which means that they’re usually up at night, when you’re asleep.
Foxes have small tummies so they eat many small meals every day. They eat just about anything. Rodents are their favorite meal and they’re expert hunters of mice, rabbits and squirrels. They also eat birds, bugs and lizards. If they live near people, they might eat dog food or fruits and berries from your garden. Occasionally, they snatch chickens from the chicken coop.
Fun Facts about Foxes for Kids
- Foxes have large, triangular ears. These ears help them hear rodents scurrying about. Foxes have exceptional hearing.
- A male fox is called a “Dog Fox” Females are “Vixens” and babies are “Cubs” or “Pups”.
- A fox is a mammal.
- Foxes live in dens in the ground or old trees. One female fox is the boss. She is the only one in her area that has babies. The other adult foxes help her raise the pups.
- Foxes have long, bushy tails and narrow faces.
- Have you seen Disney’s Robin Hood? The main character in this cartoon is a fox.
- Foxes sometimes catch mice just to play with them, rather than eating them. When they grow bored, they let the mouse go.
Fox Vocabulary
- Stealthy: Sneaky and quiet
- Nocturnal: Sleeps during the day, awake at night
- Triangular: Shaped like triangles
- Narrow: Thin, skinny
- Bushy: Big, like a bush
Learn More All About Foxes
Check out this awesome video about a fox hunting in the snow:
A video documentary about how foxes hunt for food during winter.
Fox Q&A
Question: Will foxes hurt people?
Answer: Foxes are about the size of a cat and they’re generally very shy. They do not hurt people, but sometimes they carry disease. Do not feed them or try to catch them.
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Question: Do foxes hibernate?
Answer: Foxes don’t hibernate, but they hide out in their dens if the weather is nasty.
Resources:
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