wild thing
The Foxes in our Midst
By ellen gordon
magine yourself in the depths
I of winter; days are short, nights are long, and there’ s a heavy, damp chill to the air. That’ s the kind of weather that we experience frequently in January and February in Maryland, the sort that sends us indoors as soon as chores or jobs allow, seeking a steaming bowl of soup. You might live in suburbia, or you might be in the rolling countryside of the Agricultural Reserve when you hear that eerie, piercing cry carrying through the cold night air, a shriek that sounds like a woman is screaming, or maybe something more otherworldly is out and about. More than likely, though, what you’ re hearing is the mating calls of red foxes.( See sidebar, p. 16) Breeding takes place from January through March in our part of the world, with the young— called kits or cubs— born about 50 days later in a litter of four to six.
While the kits are in the den and nursing, the female remains with them, and the male hunts to feed his mate. Foxes tend to be monogamous, and remain with each other throughout their lives. Though red foxes may dig their own burrow, they often prefer to improve an abandoned groundhog lair. Or, as many homeowners have learned, they may den in the crawl space under decks or under outbuildings. Not everyone is comfortable living so close to wildlife, but it’ s a remarkable opportunity to see the antics of the youngsters, observing but never touching them. The period that the foxes remain at the burrow is relatively short; the family will be gone by mid-summer, as red foxes den only for birthing season. Youngsters are usually on their own by the age of 10 months, and will often disperse to new territories, though females sometimes remain in the vicinity of their
mothers and help raise the next year’ s litter.
Many people are likely familiar with the red fox, having seen them in their back yards or farm fields as well as in the many children’ s stories and cultural tales shared about the sly or cunning or clever fox. Standing 14-20 inches tall at the shoulder, 18-35 inches long, with their bushy tails adding another 18 inches in length, red foxes weigh between 15-31 pounds, with males generally slightly larger than females. With slender bodies, long legs, slim muzzle, upright triangular ears and that luxuriant tail tipped in white, they present an elegant appearance. Their distinctive, dense red coat— though the shade can vary— is set off by a white / gray chin and belly and with black legs. Trotting along on their toes( a trait that marks them as dentigrades, like most canids and felines) not only affords them a lissome appearance, it’ s valuable for speed and stealth!( People and bears are plantigrades, walking along with the full foot touching the ground for greater stability.) While anyone who’ s watched a red fox can tell you they seem to easily disappear into undergrowth, they
Red fox mother nuzzles her kits.
14 plenty I autumn harvest 2025