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Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Habitat: Across North America the red fox is commonest in open woodlands, pasturelands, riparian, and agricultural lands. It favors areas with a mixture of these vegetation types occurring in small mosaics with good development of ground cover (Ables 1975). Red foxes also do well on the margins of urbanized areas and are common in open space and other undeveloped areas adjacent to cities along the Front Range corridor. In the mountains they occur in montane and subalpine meadows as well as in alpine and forest edges, usually near water.
Diet: The species is adept at taking ground-nesting birds and their eggs, including sage grouse, pheasants, and waterfowl as well as jackrabbits, cottontails, and occasionally pocket gophers (Hogue 1958). Small rodents, including deer mice and voles, rabbits, birds, and insects are common dietary items (Scott 1943, Findley 1956, Korschgen 1959, Stanley 1963). Voles are often reported as the major prey (Voigt 1987). Fruits, nuts, and berries are also eaten (Samuel and Nelson 1982). In general, red foxes are opportunistic and eat whatever is available, including some carrion and domestic poultry.
Description: The red fox is a slender, dog-like mammal with a long, sharp-pointed muzzle, and a long, bushy, white-tipped tail. Measurements are: total length 940-1045 mm; length of tail 310-380 mm; length of hindfoot 145-160 mm; length of ear 80-89 mm; weight 3-7 kg with females smaller than males (Storm et al. 1976). The tail is approximately 70 percent as long as the body. The ears are pointed and held erect; the feet, nose, and backs of the ears are typically black. Three color phases -- red, cross, and silver -- exist; the red phase is the commonest in the wild. The typical red phase has a dorsal pelage of reddish yellow with the underparts yellow to white. The so-called cross-fox has a yellowish dorsum with a dark cross of hairs extending over the shoulders and on the dorsal midline. The silver fox is black with silver tips on some or all of the guard hairs, lending the pelage a frosted or silvery appearance.
Range in Colorado: In Colorado the species occurs throughout the state except for the southern half of the eastern plains.
Status: CDOW Furbearer
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