Animal of the Month

1. Foxes are a member of the dog family. A female fox is called a "vixen", a male fox is called a "dog fox" or a "tod" and baby foxes are called "pups", "kits" or "cubs". A group of foxes is called a "skulk" or a "leash".
2. Foxes are the only type of dog capable of retracting their claws like cats do. Foxes also have vertical pupils that look more like those of cats than the rounded pupils other dogs have.
3. There are many different types of foxes, and they are the most widespread species of wild dog in the world. Foxes live just about everywhere — in the countryside, cities, forests, mountains and grasslands. Arctic foxes live in cold climates far north, and Fennec foxes live in the North African desert.
4. When fox pups are born, they are unable to see, hear or walk, and their mother has to take very good care of them. When the pups are young, their father goes out to hunt and brings food back for his family.
5. Some people hunt foxes and call it a "sport". Animal advocates disagree and say that fox hunting is cruel and should not be allowed. In 2004, a law was enacted in the UK to ban hunting foxes with dogs. Hunters would ride on horses following a number of dogs who chased and killed the fox. However, hunters can still hunt and kill foxes by other means. Fox hunting with dogs is still legal in many other places, such as Ireland, North America and Australia.
6. Foxes eat just about anything, including berries, worms, spiders and small animals such as mice and birds. If they live in the city, they eat rubbish that people leave out. If they have extra food, they hide it in a small hole and eat it later when they are hungry.
7. Foxes have beautiful fur, and some people choose to wear clothes made from it. Eighty-five percent of the fur industry's skins come from animals living in captivity on fur factory farms. At these farms, animals are kept in small cages, unable to take more than a few steps back and forth. Because fur farmers care only about preserving the quality of the fur, they use slaughter methods that keep the fur intact but result in extreme suffering for the animals.
8. Grey foxes who live in North America are the only type of dogs who can climb trees!
9. A fox's home is called a "den", which can be a hole in the ground or elsewhere, such as under a garden shed. Hunters often try and scare foxes out of their dens by sending in dogs so that the hunter can then shoot the foxes. Sometimes the foxes remain in the den and are injured or killed by the dogs.
10. Foxes show great caring, adaptability and intelligence when raising their young. The Daily Mail reported in May 2009 that a baby fox cub was caught in a snare for two whole weeks before being rescued by the RSPCA. Unable to escape, he was badly injured. He only survived because his mother brought him food while he was trapped.