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RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes) Carnivore Description: The fox is characterized by a rather long, low body; relatively short legs; a long, narrow muzzle; large, pointed ears; and a bushy, rounded tail that is at least half as long, and often fully as long, as the head and body. The typical coloration ranges from pale yellowish-red to deep reddish-brown on the upper parts, and is white, ashy, or slaty on the underparts. The lower part of the legs is usually black, and the tail is generally tipped with white or black. Teeth: The first incisor is the smallest and the third is the largest, the difference in size being most marked in the upper jaw. The canine teeth are pointed, elongate, and round to oval in section. The premolars are usually adapted for cutting, and the molars usually have four or more sharp, pointed cusps. The last upper premolar and the first lower molar are called the cartnassials, and often work together as a specialized shearing mechanism. The fox’s teeth stay hard and sharp because of a new layer of hard enamel that grows each year. Special Note: Have you ever counted the rings on a tree stump to see how old the tree was? In the same way, scientists can tell how old a fox is by looking at one of its teeth. If a fox’s tooth is cut in half, you can see a ring for each new layer of enamel. You can tell how old a fox is by counting the enamel rings on the tooth. By studying fox teeth in this way scientists have found that many foxes die from disease or are killed by predators when they are young. Those foxes that learn to hunt and defend themselves will often live to be 12 or older. Diet: While the fox is a carnivore, the diet can be considered omnivorous. It consists mostly of rodents, lagomorphs, insects, and sometimes fruit. To hunt mice, the red fox stands motionless, listens and watches intently, and then leaps suddenly, bringing its forelegs straight down to pin the prey. Rabbits are stalked and then captured with a rapid dash. The red fox will eat any animal it can catch or scavenge. This is one of the reasons it has survived so well. The fox likes rabbits, voles, mice and other small rodents best, but it will also eat insects, snails, eggs and other things that it finds on its travels. If a fox is lucky enough to kill a large animal, it may bury the part it does not eat right away and save it for a meal later on. If meat is scarce, foxes will also eat wild fruits such as blueberries and apples. Range: The red fox has settled in all areas of northern and central Europe, Asia, and northern America. The red fox continues to spread and it is pushing into the Arctic region, where it threatens to compete with the Arctic fox for food. 17
Habitat: It is adaptable to all habitats - from lowland forests to town suburbs. Habitats range from deep forest to arctic tundra, open prairie, and farmland, but the red fox prefers areas of highly diverse vegetation and avoids large homogenous tracts. Social Organization: A home range is typically occupied by an adult male, one or two adult females, and their young. A female fox may sometimes mate with several males, but later she will establish a partnership with just one of them. Sources: Knight, Linsay. The Sierra Club Book of Small Mammals. San Francisco: Weldon Owen Pty Limited, 1993. Page 47. Nowak, Ronald M. and John L. Paradiso. Walker’s Mammals of the World. 4th edition, Volume II. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1983. Pages 930, 932-933. Switzer, Merebeth. Red Fox. Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1986. Pages 22, 29. 18
Page 1 and 2: OBJECTIVE AND OVERVIEW 1 CLASSROOM
Page 3 and 4: categories by observing teeth in th
Page 5: Students should be familiar with th
Page 8: Figure 1. Skulls of a cat (A), a ro
Page 11 and 12: Often it is fused with the occipita
Page 13 and 14: ing made up of the tympanic bone (e
Page 15 and 16: Premolars - These teeth are located
Page 17: time. They do not hibernate. Beaver
Page 21 and 22: foundation. They often swish the fo
Page 23 and 24: Nowak, Ronald M. and John L. Paradi
Page 25 and 26: areas of southwestern Mongolia and
Page 27 and 28: Ferret Recovery Program. Under the
Page 29 and 30: Sources: Kurt, Fred. “True Deer.
Page 31 and 32: dangerous because of aggression, an
Page 33 and 34: LONG-NOSED ARMADILLO (Dasypus novem
Page 35 and 36: its habits and striking appearance,
Page 37 and 38: History: Tree kangaroos are especia
Page 39 and 40: Subsequently, the emperor’s game
Page 41 and 42: PRZEWALSKI’S HORSE (Equus ferus p
Page 43 and 44: PUDU (Pudu puda) Herbivore Descript
Page 45 and 46: RED PANDA (Ailurus fulgens) Herbivo
Page 47 and 48: SABLE ANTELOPE (Hippotragus niger)
Page 49 and 50: SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX (Oryx dammah)
Page 51 and 52: TIGER QUOLL (Dasyurus maculatus) Ca
Page 53 and 54: Appendix 5: Vocabulary List Student
Page 55: missing any teeth? Do they have pro

TABLE OF CONTENTS - National Zoo

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