Jump to content

Fox

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromVixen)

Foxes
A red fox in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Ared foxin Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Caninae
Groups included
Cladisticallyincluded but traditionally excluded taxa

All other species inCanini

Foxesare small-to-medium-sizedomnivorousmammalsbelonging to severalgeneraof the familyCanidae.They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturnedsnout;and a long, bushytail( "brush" ).

Twelvespeciesbelong to themonophyletic"true fox" group of genusVulpes.Another 25 current orextinctspecies are sometimes called foxes - they are part of theparaphyleticgroup of theSouth American foxesor an outlying group, which consists of thebat-eared fox,gray fox,andisland fox.[1]

Foxes live on every continent except Antarctica. The most common and widespread species of fox is thered fox(Vulpes vulpes) with about 47 recognizedsubspecies.[2]The global distribution of foxes, together with their widespread reputation for cunning, has contributed to their prominence in popular culture and folklore in many societies around the world. Thehunting of foxeswith packs of hounds, long an established pursuit in Europe, especially in theBritish Isles,was exported by European settlers to various parts of theNew World.

Etymology

The wordfoxcomes fromOld Englishand derives fromProto-Germanic*fuhsaz.[nb 1]This in turn derives fromProto-Indo-European*puḱ-"thick-haired, tail."[nb 2]Male foxes areknown asdogs,tods,orreynards;females asvixens;and young ascubs,pups,orkits,though the last term is not to be confused with thekit fox,a distinct species. "Vixen" is one of very fewmodern Englishwords that retain theMiddle Englishsouthern dialectal "v" pronunciation instead of "f"; i.e., northern English "fox" versus southern English "vox".[3]A group of foxes is referred to as askulk,leash,orearth.[4][5]

Phylogenetic relationships

Comparative illustration of skulls of a true fox (left) and gray fox (right), with differing temporal ridges and subangular lobes indicated

Within the Canidae, the results ofDNAanalysis shows severalphylogeneticdivisions:

Biology

Fox skeleton

General morphology

Foxes are generally smaller than some other members of the familyCanidaesuch aswolvesandjackals,while they may be larger than some within the family, such asraccoon dogs.In the largest species, thered fox,males weigh between 4.1 and 8.7 kg (9.0 and 19.2 lb),[7]while the smallest species, thefennec fox,weighs just0.7 to 1.6 kg (1+12to3+12lb).[8]

Fox features typically include a triangular face, pointed ears, an elongatedrostrum,and a bushy tail. They aredigitigrade(meaning they walk on their toes). Unlike most members of the family Canidae, foxes have partially retractableclaws.[9]Fox vibrissae, orwhiskers,are black. The whiskers on the muzzle, known as mystacial vibrissae, average100–110 millimetres (3+784+38inches) long, while the whiskers everywhere else on the head average to be shorter in length. Whiskers (carpal vibrissae) are also on the forelimbs and average40 mm (1+58in) long, pointing downward and backward.[2]Other physical characteristics vary according to habitat and adaptive significance.

Pelage

Fox species differ in fur color, length, and density. Coat colors range from pearly white to black-and-white to black flecked with white or grey on the underside.Fennec foxes(and other species of fox adapted to life in the desert, such askit foxes), for example, have large ears and short fur to aid in keeping the body cool.[2][9]Arctic foxes,on the other hand, have tiny ears and short limbs as well as thick, insulating fur, which aid in keeping the body warm.[10]Red foxes,by contrast, have a typicalauburnpelt,the tail normally ending with a whitemarking.[11]

A fox's coat color and texture may vary due to the change in seasons; fox pelts are richer and denser in the colder months and lighter in the warmer months. To get rid of the dense winter coat, foxesmoultonce a year around April; the process begins from the feet, up the legs, and then along the back.[9]Coat color may also change as the individual ages.[2]

Dentition

A fox'sdentition,like all other canids, is I 3/3, C 1/1, PM 4/4, M 3/2 = 42. (Bat-eared foxes have six extra molars, totalling in 48 teeth.) Foxes have pronouncedcarnassialpairs, which is characteristic of acarnivore.These pairs consist of the upper premolar and the lower first molar, and work together to shear tough material like flesh. Foxes' canines are pronounced, also characteristic of a carnivore, and are excellent in gripping prey.[12]

Behaviour

Arctic foxcurled up in snow

In the wild, the typical lifespan of a fox is one to three years, although individuals may live up to ten years. Unlike many canids, foxes are not always pack animals. Typically, they live in small family groups, but some (such asArctic foxes) are known to be solitary.[2][9]

Foxes areomnivores.[13][14]Their diet is made up primarily ofinvertebratessuch as insects and smallvertebratessuch as reptiles and birds. They may also eat eggs and vegetation. Many species are generalist predators, but some (such as thecrab-eating fox) have more specialized diets. Most species of fox consume around 1 kg (2.2 lb) of food every day. Foxescacheexcess food, burying it for later consumption, usually under leaves, snow, or soil.[9][15]While hunting, foxes tend to use a particular pouncing technique, such that they crouch down tocamouflagethemselves in the terrain and then use their hind legs to leap up with great force and land on top of their chosen prey.[2]Using their pronounced canine teeth, they can then grip the prey's neck and shake it until it is dead or can be readily disemboweled.[2]

Thegray foxis one of only two canine species known to regularly climb trees; the other is theraccoon dog.[16]

Sexual characteristics

Matingwhite-footed foxes

The male fox'sscrotumis held up close to the body with thetestesinside even after they descend. Like other canines, the male fox has abaculum,or penile bone.[2][17][18]The testes ofred foxesare smaller than those of Arctic foxes.[19]Sperm formationin red foxes begins in August–September, with the testicles attaining their greatest weight in December–February.[20]

Vixens are in heat for one to six days, making their reproductive cycle twelve months long. As with other canines, theovaare shed duringestruswithout the need for the stimulation of copulating. Once the egg is fertilized, the vixen enters a period ofgestationthat can last from 52 to 53 days. Foxes tend to have an average litter size of four to five with an 80 percent success rate in becoming pregnant.[2][21]Litter sizes can vary greatly according to species and environment – theArctic fox,for example, can have up to eleven kits.[22]

The vixen usually has six or eightmammae.[23]Each teat has 8 to 20lactiferous ducts,which connect the mammary gland to the nipple, allowing for milk to be carried to the nipple.[citation needed]

Vocalization

The fox's vocal repertoire is vast, and includes:

Whine
Made shortly after birth. Occurs at a high rate when kits are hungry and when their body temperatures are low. Whining stimulates the mother to care for her young; it also has been known to stimulate the male fox into caring for his mate and kits.
Yelp
Made about 19 days later. The kits' whining turns into infantile barks, yelps, which occur heavily during play.
Explosive call
At the age of about one month, the kits can emit an explosive call which is intended to be threatening to intruders or other cubs; a high-pitched howl.
Combative call
In adults, the explosive call becomes an open-mouthed combative call during any conflict; a sharper bark.
Growl
An adult fox's indication to their kits to feed or head to the adult's location.
Bark
Adult foxes warn against intruders and in defense by barking.[2][24]

In the case of domesticated foxes, the whining seems to remain in adult individuals as a sign of excitement and submission in the presence of their owners.[2]

Classification

Canids commonly known as foxes include the following genera and species:[2]

Genus Species Picture
Canis Ethiopian wolf,sometimes called the Simien fox or Simien jackal
Ethiopian wolf,native to the Ethiopian highlands
Cerdocyon Crab-eating fox
Crab-eating fox,a South American species
Dusicyon Extinctgenus,including theFalkland Islands wolf,sometimes known as the Falklands Islands fox
Falkland Islands wolfIllustration byJohn Gerrard Keulemans(1842–1912)
Lycalopex
Apampas foxin Departamento de Flores, Uruguay
Otocyon Bat-eared fox
Bat-eared foxinKenya
Urocyon
Gray fox(Urocyon cinereoargenteus), in Midtown, Palo Alto, California
Vulpes
Thefennec foxis the smallest species of fox
Red fox

Conservation

Theisland foxis anear-threatened species.

Several fox species areendangeredin their native environments. Pressures placed on foxes includehabitat lossand being hunted for pelts, other trade, or control.[25]Due in part to their opportunistic hunting style and industriousness, foxes are commonly resented as nuisance animals.[26]Contrastingly, foxes, while often considered pests themselves, have been successfully employed to control pests on fruit farms while leaving the fruit intact.[27]

Urocyon littoralis

Theisland fox,though considered anear-threatened speciesthroughout the world, is becoming increasingly endangered in itsendemicenvironment of theCalifornia Channel Islands.[28]A population on an island is smaller than those on the mainland because of limited resources like space, food and shelter.[29]Island populations are therefore highly susceptible to external threats ranging from introduced predatory species and humans toextreme weather.[29]

On the California Channel Islands, it was found that the population of the island fox was so low due to an outbreak ofcanine distemper virusfrom 1999 to 2000[30]as well as predation by non-nativegolden eagles.[31]Since 1993, the eagles have caused the population to decline by as much as 95%.[30]Because of the low number of foxes, the population went through anAllee effect(an effect in which, at low enough densities, an individual'sfitnessdecreases).[28]Conservationists had to take healthy breeding pairs out of the wild population to breed them in captivity until they had enough foxes to release back into the wild.[30]Nonnative grazers were also removed so that native plants would be able to grow back to their natural height, thereby providing adequate cover and protection for the foxes against golden eagles.[31]

Pseudalopex fulvipes

Darwin's foxwas consideredcritically endangeredbecause of their small known population of 250 mature individuals as well as their restricted distribution.[32]However, theIUCNhave since downgraded the conservation status from crictically endangered in their 2004 and 2008 assessments toendangeredin the 2016 assessment, following findings of a wider distribution than previously reported.[33]On theChileanmainland, the population is limited toNahuelbuta National Parkand the surroundingValdivian rainforest.[32]Similarly onChiloé Island,their population is limited to the forests that extend from the southernmost to the northwesternmost part of the island.[32]Though the Nahuelbuta National Park is protected, 90% of the species live on Chiloé Island.[34]

A major issue the species faces is their dwindling, limited habitat due to the cutting and burning of the unprotected forests.[32]Because of deforestation, the Darwin's fox habitat is shrinking, allowing for their competitor's (chilla fox) preferred habitat of open space, to increase; the Darwin's fox, subsequently, is being outcompeted.[35]Another problem they face is their inability to fight off diseases transmitted by the increasing number of pet dogs.[32]To conserve these animals, researchers suggest the need for the forests that link the Nahuelbuta National Park to the coast of Chile and in turn Chiloé Island and its forests, to be protected.[35]They also suggest that other forests around Chile be examined to determine whether Darwin's foxes have previously existed there or can live there in the future, should the need to reintroduce the species to those areas arise.[35]And finally, the researchers advise for the creation of a captive breeding program, in Chile, because of the limited number of mature individuals in the wild.[35]

Relationships with humans

Ared foxon the porch of a house
Dead foxes inCarbunup

Foxes are often considered pests or nuisance creatures for their opportunistic attacks on poultry and other small livestock. Fox attacks on humans are not common.[36] Many foxes adapt well to human environments, with several species classified as "resident urban carnivores" for their ability to sustain populations entirely within urban boundaries.[37]Foxes in urban areas can live longer and can have smaller litter sizes than foxes in non-urban areas.[37]Urban foxes are ubiquitous in Europe, where they show altered behaviors compared to non-urban foxes, including increased population density, smaller territory, and pack foraging.[38]Foxes have been introduced in numerous locations, with varying effects on indigenous flora and fauna.[39]

In some countries, foxes are major predators of rabbits and hens. Population oscillations of these two species were the first nonlinear oscillation studied and led to the derivation of theLotka–Volterra equation.[40][41]

As food

Fox meat is edible, though it is not considered a common cuisine in any country.[42]

Hunting

Fox hunting originated in the United Kingdom in the 16th century. Hunting with dogs is now banned in the United Kingdom,[43][44][45][46]though hunting without dogs is still permitted. Red foxes wereintroduced into Australiain the early 19th century for sport, and have since become widespread through much of the country. They have caused population decline among many native species and prey on livestock, especially new lambs.[47]Fox hunting is practiced as recreation in several other countries including Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Russia, United States and Australia.

Domestication

A tame fox inTalysarn,Wales

There are many records ofdomesticated red foxesand others, but rarely of sustained domestication. A recent and notable exception is theRussian silver fox,[48]which resulted in visible and behavioral changes, and is a case study of an animal population modeling according to human domestication needs. The current group of domesticated silver foxes are the result of nearly fifty years of experiments in the Soviet Union and Russia tode novodomesticatethe silver morph of the red fox. This selective breeding resulted in physical and behavioral traits appearing that are frequently seen in domestic cats, dogs, and other animals, such as pigmentation changes, floppy ears, and curly tails.[49]Notably, the new foxes became more tame, allowing themselves to be petted, whimpering to get attention and sniffing and licking their caretakers.[50]

Urban settings

Foxes are among the comparatively few mammals which have been able to adapt themselves to a certain degree to living in urban (mostly suburban) human environments. Their omnivorous diet allows them to survive on discardedfood waste,and their skittish and often nocturnal nature means that they are often able to avoid detection, despite their larger size.

Urban foxes have been identified as threats to cats and small dogs, and for this reason there is often pressure to exclude them from these environments.[51]

TheSan Joaquin kit foxis a highly endangered species that has, ironically, become adapted to urban living in theSan Joaquin ValleyandSalinas Valleyof southern California. Its diet includes mice, ground squirrels, rabbits, hares, bird eggs, and insects, and it has claimed habitats in open areas, golf courses, drainage basins, and school grounds.[51]

Though rare, bites by foxes have been reported; in 2018, a woman inClapham, Londonwas bitten on the arm by a fox after she had left the door to her flat open.[52]

Plate in the shape of two peaches depicting two foxes,Tang dynasty

The fox appears in many cultures, usually infolklore.There are slight variations in their depictions. In Western and Persian folklore, foxes are symbols of cunning andtrickery—a reputation derived especially from their reputed ability to evade hunters. This is usually represented as a character possessing these traits. These traits are used on a wide variety of characters, either making them a nuisance to the story, a misunderstood hero, or a devious villain.

In Asian folklore, foxes are depicted asfamiliar spiritspossessing magic powers. Similar to in Western folklore, foxes are portrayed as mischievous, usually tricking other people, with the ability todisguise as an attractive female human.Others depict them as mystical, sacred creatures who can bring wonder or ruin.[53]Nine-tailed foxesappear in Chinese folklore, literature, and mythology, in which, depending on the tale, they can be a good or a bad omen.[54]The motif was eventually introduced from Chinese to Japanese and Korean cultures.[55]

The constellationVulpecularepresents a fox.

Notes

  1. ^Cf.West Frisianfoks,Dutchvos,andGermanFuchs.
  2. ^Cf.Hindipū̃ch'tail',Tocharian Bpäkā'tail; chowrie', andLithuanianpaustìs'fur'. The bushy tail forms the basis for the fox'sWelshname,llwynog'bushy', fromllwyn'bush'. Likewise,Portuguese:raposafromrabo'tail', Lithuanianuodẽgisfromuodegà'tail', andOjibwawaagoshfromwaa,which refers to the up-and-down "bounce" or flickering of an animal or its tail.

References

  1. ^Macdonald, David W.; Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio, eds. (2004).The biology and conservation of wild canids(Nachdr. d. Ausg. 2004. ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 49.ISBN978-0198515562.
  2. ^abcdefghijklLloyd, H.G. (1981).The red fox(2. impr. ed.). London: Batsford. p. 21.ISBN978-0-7134-11904.
  3. ^"Episode 113: A Zouthern Accent - The History of English Podcast".historyofenglishpodcast.28 June 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 20 July 2018.Retrieved20 July2018.
  4. ^Fellows, Dave."Animal Congregations, or What Do You Call a Group of.....?".Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.USGS. Archived fromthe originalon 20 March 2015.Retrieved9 October2014.
  5. ^"Fox Cubs and the breeding cycle".New Forest Explorers Guide.Archivedfrom the original on 13 August 2016.Retrieved29 July2016.
  6. ^abcdWayne, Robert K. (June 1993)."Molecular evolution of the dog family".Trends in Genetics.9(6): 218–224.doi:10.1016/0168-9525(93)90122-x.PMID8337763.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-24.Retrieved2017-11-25.
  7. ^Larivière, S.; Pasitschniak-Arts, M. (1996)."Vulpes vulpes".Mammalian Species(537): 1–11.doi:10.2307/3504236.JSTOR3504236.
  8. ^Nobleman, Marc Tyler (2007).Foxes.Benchmark Books (NY). pp.35–36.ISBN978-0-7614-2237-2.
  9. ^abcdeBurrows, Roger (1968).Wild fox.Newton Abbot: David & Charles.ISBN9780715342176.
  10. ^"Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)".ARKive.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-10-06.Retrieved2 October2014.
  11. ^Fox, David."Vulpes vulpes, red fox".Animal Diversity Web.Archivedfrom the original on 6 October 2014.Retrieved2 October2014.
  12. ^"Canidae".The University of Edinburgh.Archivedfrom the original on 21 June 2013.Retrieved23 September2014.
  13. ^Fedriani, J.M.; T. K. Fuller; R. M. Sauvajot; E. C. York (2000-07-05)."Competition and intraguild predation among three sympatric carnivores"(PDF).Oecologia.125(2): 258–270.Bibcode:2000Oecol.125..258F.doi:10.1007/s004420000448.hdl:10261/54628.PMID24595837.S2CID24289407.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2011-10-06.
  14. ^Fox, David L. (2007)."Vulpes vulpes (red fox)".Animal Diversity Web.University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-01-06.Retrieved2009-08-30.
  15. ^Macdonald, David W. (26 April 2010). "Food Caching by Red Foxes and Some Other Carnivores".Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie.42(2): 170–185.doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1976.tb00963.x.PMID1007654.
  16. ^Lavigne, Guillaume de (2015-03-19).Free Ranging Dogs – Stray, Feral or Wild?.Lulu Press, Inc.ISBN9781326219529.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^Čanády, Alexander. "Variability of the baculum in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from Slovakia." Zoology and Ecology 23.3 (2013): 165–170.
  18. ^Bijlsma, Rob G. "Copulatory lock of wild red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in broad daylight.Archived2017-08-29 at theWayback Machine"Naturalist 80: 45–67.
  19. ^Heptner, V. G.; Naumov, N. P. (1998).Mammals of the Soviet Union.Leiden u.a.: Brill. p. 341.ISBN978-1886106819.
  20. ^Heptner & Naumov 1998,p. 537
  21. ^Parkes, I. W. Rowlands and A. S. (21 August 2009). "The Reproductive Processes of certain Mammals.-VIII. Reproduction in Foxes (Vulpes spp.)".Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.105(4): 823–841.doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1935.tb06267.x.
  22. ^Hildebrand, Milton (1952). "The Integument in Canidae".Journal of Mammalogy.33(4): 419–428.doi:10.2307/1376014.JSTOR1376014.
  23. ^Ronald M. Nowak (2005).Walker's Carnivores of the World.JHU Press.ISBN978-0-8018-8032-2.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-11-29.Retrieved2020-10-17.
  24. ^Tembrock, Günter (1976). "Canid vocalizations".Behavioural Processes.1(1): 57–75.doi:10.1016/0376-6357(76)90007-3.PMID24923545.S2CID205107627.
  25. ^Ginsburg, Joshua Ross and David Whyte MacDonald.Foxes, Wolves, Jackals, and DogsArchived2023-11-30 at theWayback Machine.p.58.
  26. ^Bathgate, Michael.The Fox's Craft in Japanese Religion and CultureArchived2023-11-29 at theWayback Machine.2004. p.18.
  27. ^McCandless, LindaFoxes are Beneficial on Fruit Farms.nysaes.cornell.edu (1997-04-24)
  28. ^abANGULO, ELENA; ROEMER, GARY W.; BEREC, LUDĚK; GASCOIGNE, JOANNA; COURCHAMP, FRANCK (29 May 2007)."Double Allee Effects and Extinction in the Island Fox"(PDF).Conservation Biology.21(4): 1082–1091.Bibcode:2007ConBi..21.1082A.doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2007.00721.x.hdl:10261/57044.PMID17650257.S2CID16545913.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2016-10-20.
  29. ^abPrimack, Richard B. (2014).Essentials of conservation biology(Sixth ed.). Sinauer Associates. pp. 143–146.ISBN9781605352893.
  30. ^abcKohlmann, Stephan G.; Schmidt, Gregory A.; Garcelon, David K. (10 April 2005). "A population viability analysis for the Island Fox on Santa Catalina Island, California".Ecological Modelling.183(1): 77–94.Bibcode:2005EcMod.183...77K.doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2004.07.022.
  31. ^ab"Channel Islands: The Restoration of the Island Fox".National Park Service.Archivedfrom the original on 6 October 2014.Retrieved25 September2014.
  32. ^abcdeJiménez, J. E. (2006). "Ecology of a coastal population of the critically endangered Darwin's fox (Pseudalopex fulvipes) on Chiloé Island, southern Chile".Journal of Zoology.271(1): 63–77.doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00218.x.
  33. ^Silva-Rodríguez, E.; Farias, A.; Moreira-Arce, D.; Cabello, J.; Hidalgo-Hermoso, E.; Lucherini, M. & Jiménez, J. (2016)."Lycalopex fulvipes".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2016:e.T41586A85370871.
  34. ^Jiménez, J.E.; Lucherini, M. & Novaro, A.J. (2008)."Pseudalopex fulvipes".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2008.Retrieved30 September2014.
  35. ^abcdYahnke, Christopher J.; Johnson, Warren E.; Geffen, Eli; Smith, Deborah; Hertel, Fritz; Roy, Michael S.; Bonacic, Cristian F.; Fuller, Todd K.; Van Valkenburgh, Blaire; Wayne, Robert K. (1996). "Darwin's Fox: A Distinct Endangered Species in a Vanishing Habitat".Conservation Biology.10(2): 366–375.Bibcode:1996ConBi..10..366Y.doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.1996.10020366.x.
  36. ^Barratt, Sarah and Martin Barratt.Practical Quail-keepingArchived2023-11-29 at theWayback Machine.2013.
  37. ^abIossa, G. et al.A Taxonomic Analysis of Urban Carnivore EcologyArchived2023-11-30 at theWayback Machine,fromUrban Carnivores.Stanley Gehrt et al. eds. 2010. p.174.
  38. ^Francis, Robert and Michael Chadwick.Urban EcosystemsArchived2023-11-29 at theWayback Machine2013. p.126.
  39. ^See generally Long, John.Introduced Mammals of the WorldArchived2023-11-29 at theWayback Machine.2013.
  40. ^Sprott, Julien.Elegant ChaosArchived2023-11-29 at theWayback Machine2010. p.89.
  41. ^Komarova, Natalia.Axiomatic Modeling in Life SciencesArchived2023-11-29 at theWayback Machine,from Mathematics and Life Sciences. Alexandra Antoniouk and Roderick Melnik, eds. pp.113–114.
  42. ^Roland, Denise (2 January 2014)."Donkey snack contaminated by fox meat, fears Walmart".The Telegraph.Retrieved17 June2024.
  43. ^"Hunt campaigners lose legal bid".BBC News Online.2006-06-23.Archivedfrom the original on 2008-12-11.Retrieved2008-11-04.
  44. ^Singh, Anita (2009-09-18)."David Cameron 'to vote against fox hunting ban'".The Daily Telegraph.London. Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2009.Retrieved2010-05-02.
  45. ^Fox Hunting.North West League Against Cruel Sports Support Group. nwlacs.co.uk
  46. ^"Fox Hunting: For and Against"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2010-03-31.Retrieved2009-12-12.
  47. ^"Fact Sheet: European Red Fox, Department of the Environment, Australian Government".Archivedfrom the original on 2015-12-23.Retrieved2015-12-23.
  48. ^"The most affectionate foxes are bred in Novosibirsk".Redhotrussia. Archived fromthe originalon January 18, 2013.Retrieved2014-04-08.
  49. ^Trut, Lyudmila N. (1999)."Early Canid Domestication: The Fox Farm Experiment"(PDF).American Scientist.87(2): 160.Bibcode:1999AmSci..87.....T.doi:10.1511/1999.2.160.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2003-03-13.
  50. ^Kenneth Mason, Jonathan Losos, Susan Singer, Peter Raven, George Johnson(2011)Biology Ninth Edition,p. 423. McGraw-Hill, New York.ISBN978-0-07-353222-6.
  51. ^abClark E. Adams (15 June 2012).Urban Wildlife Management, Second Edition.CRC Press. p. 168.ISBN978-1-4665-2127-8.Archivedfrom the original on 29 November 2023.Retrieved24 September2018.
  52. ^Dunne, John; Moore-Bridger, Benedict; Powell, Tom (2018-06-21)."Woman mauled in bed by fox in Clapham flat: I'm traumatised and feared I would contract rabies".Evening Standard.London.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-06-22.Retrieved2018-06-22.
  53. ^Uther, Hans-Jörg (2006). "The Fox in World Literature: Reflections on a" Fictional Animal "".Asian Folklore Studies.65(2): 133–160.JSTOR30030396.
  54. ^Kang, Xiaofei (2006).The cult of the fox: Power, gender, and popular religion in late imperial and modern China.New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 15–21.ISBN978-0-231-13338-8.
  55. ^Wallen, Martin (2006).Fox.London:Reaktion Books.pp. 69–70.ISBN9781861892973.