Best time to see: all year
Key facts
Our native fox, increasingly seen in town as well as country
Habitat: anywhere with an adequate food supply, including cities and villages
The most widely distributed European mammal, occurring from the Arctic to the Mediterranean
Recognition
Rufous red with a white-tipped tail; body up to 90 cm, tail up to 60 cm
Mostly nocturnal, foraging singly or in pairs; often live in small family groups
Feeds mostly on small animals, also scraps from garbage cans and farm livestock
Lifecycle
Breeding site is a hole (or 'earth') excavated in a bank or under tree roots; in towns often under garden sheds
One litter in early spring of usually 4–6 cubs; males leave to fend for themselves by autumn
Young can flatten areas of garden in their play but stop this behaviour as they get older
© Bill Varney