Foxy Facts
How many different sounds can a fox make?
November is peak ‘dispersal’ period for young male foxes, meaning it’s the time they leave home to find a territory of their own (though some leave as early as July and others won’t leave until December). Some juvenile females will also leave the safety of their family in autumn and winter, but others may remain with their parents for longer and become “helper vixens”, assisting with younger siblings and, in some cases, even stepping in to become a foster parent for their younger siblings.
Since you may be seeing more foxes than usual right now, I thought it might be a good time to share a few facts about them. I gathered these facts from various websites and books for a colouring sheet I made for a recent Wild South London event where we invited children to make a fox mask using an egg box. Look how great they turned out:
Fox Facts:
The London Wildlife Trust estimates there are roughly 10,000 foxes in London.
Foxes can make over 40 different sounds.
A group of foxes is called a skulk or a leash.
Foxes have excellent hearing - they could hear a watch ticking from 36 meters away!
A female fox is called a vixen and a male fox is called a dog fox or a tod.
Foxes have eyes that are specially adapted to be able to see in the dark.
There are, of course, loads more interesting fox facts… so please share in the comments if you know any good ones!
Sources & Further Reading
Should you feed urban foxes? BBC Earth Explore (video) The Guardian (interview)
The Fox in the Car Park - a lovely tale of an urban fox by
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I love foxes!
I also can add a fun fact (I did a bit of research for my own newsletter a couple of weeks ago) - foxes the first creatures in the world shown to use the earth’s magnetic fields to judge the direction and distance of their prey! It basically becomes a ‘rangefinder’ for them, and allows them to hunt small animals in tall grasses <3
I've just read the most beautiful children's book by Katya Balen called Foxlight. I think you might love it.
The masks are fabulous!