After a gestation period of about 52 days, females give birth to litters that vary in number from 1 to 12, with 3 - 6 being common. This species maintains lifelong breeding companions. Red fox breed in New York from December to April, with a peak between January and February. Once a prey item is located, a fox will freeze, presumably to zero in on the location, followed by a quick aerial pounce and capture of the prey. Foraging behaviors most commonly seen include erratic movements in open grassland, head and ears erect searching for the slightest rustle of grass or a glimpse of fur. Use of food caches is common for this species. Additionally, red fox have a sweet tooth as they have been noted to consume ripening grapes and apples in the early autumn. Other opportunistic food items such as nestling songbirds, various amphibians and reptiles, invertebrates such as earthworms, and carrion are all consumed as the opportunity presents itself. Small mammals such as mice, squirrels, woodchucks, and rabbits comprise the majority of their mammalian diet, while birds such as grouse, nesting waterfowl, and other ground-nesting birds and their eggs are the most important avian food items in their diet. Food and FeedingĪs with most of New York's predators, the red fox has a variable diet, likely coinciding with local prey populations and seasonal availability of small mammals and birds. Expanding coyote populations (a potential predator of red fox) have pushed red fox further into residential areas in recent years. Broken wood lines alongside lawns, roadside ditches, and utility rights-of-way provide plenty of cover and potential denning sites. Residential suburbs also provide ample habitat and a substantial prey base. Lands with a mixture of old fields, forest edges, and farmlands may all serve as prime red fox habitat, as a mixed landscape provides ample foraging opportunities and cover from would-be predators. Preference is given to open country, with an aversion to open landscapes devoid of vegetative cover or deep forests. Red fox are the most widely distributed carnivore in the world, and are known to occur in nearly every county of New York State. The tail accounts for nearly half of that length. Individuals may average from 8-15 pounds as adults, and vary in total length from 48 - 57 inches. Males are generally larger than females, but no definitive comparisons have been made. Their tails are typically very bushy and cylindrical in shape, and they occur in variety in colors, blacks and reds predominating, with a characteristically white tip. Jet black marks the legs and ears and the chest and throat are typically a light gray to white. The red portions cover the head, shoulders and back, and the rump may be either red or a light gray. Adult red fox have a year-round red coat that is typically much more striking during the winter months a washed out orange to cherry red.
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