Curious & Cunning: Top 17 Fun Facts About Foxes You Didn't Know!

1. Foxes: The Group Chat Masters

If you've ever wondered what it would sound like if a fox joined your group chat, we've got news for you: foxes utilize an intricate system of scent, body language, and over 20 different vocalizations to communicate, keep their territories in check, and tell the other furry fellas how they're feeling.
Source => wildlifeonline.me.uk

2. Fox Happy Hour

If a fox were to walk into a bar during happy hour, it would feel right at home: foxes are crepuscular animals, meaning they are most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk, just like their fellow party animals such as jaguars, ocelots, and bobcats.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know arctic foxes change their fur color based on location and season? Discover how these stylish creatures adapt their coats using eumelanin and phaeomelanin pigments! 🦊❄️

=> Fun Facts about Arctic-Foxes

3. Foxes' Prehistoric Drive-Thru

Talk about fast food: Foxes in southwestern Germany had their very own reindeer drive-thru thousands of years ago, thanks to ancient humans leaving their reindeer leftovers! This fascinating adaptation illustrates the impact our ancestors had on wild animals and their dining habits.
Source => forbes.com

4. GPS Whiskers

"Walking whiskers, Batman!" Did you ever think of what would happen if a GPS morphed into a furry mammal and roamed the wilderness with surprising grace? Ta-da: Foxes have whiskers on their face and legs, which act as navigation aids, especially in tall grass when sight isn't a viable sense, so they can whisk around with ease.
Source => varmentguard.com

5. Fifty Shades of Fox

If you thought Fifty Shades of Grey was daring, then foxes are about to blow your mind with their kaleidoscope of colors: Silver foxes have more than 70 color mutations, including the burgundy gold fox, pearl gold fox, and amber gold fox, resulting from generations of selective breeding for the fur trade - impacting even their antioxidant and digestive systems in foxy ways!
Source => blackfoxes.co.uk

6. Foxes' Pouncing Buffet

When a fox is feeling peckish and eager to turn the soil into their own personal buffet, they pull out their inner superhero and take a leap of faith: Foxes can locate buried food over a foot deep using their heightened sense of smell and hearing and then perfect a unique pouncing technique to snatch up their meal.
Source => wildlifeonline.me.uk

7. Solo Furry Assassins

Foxes may look like they've got a feline PhD in Cat-robatics, but don't let their fluffy charm fool you: these canine cousins are cunning hunters who prefer stalking and teasing their prey solo, armed with their trusty teeth and a diet that includes a sneaky dose of taurine!
Source => theanimalcare.org

8. Foxes: Semi-Earthbenders

Despite confirming suspicions that they're secretly auditioning for the role of Earthbender in a real-life adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, foxes fall a little short of making the bend: these sly hunters are indeed equipped with semi-retractable sharp claws designed for capturing their prey, climbing trees, and digging underground homes, but haven't quite mastered the manipulation of earth like our fictional bending heroes.
Source => allthingsfoxes.com

9. Sherlock Foxes and Food Caching

If Sherlock Holmes were a fox, his favorite pastime would be caching food as unexpected surprises for his furry mates: Foxes exhibit an impressive talent for burying their food hauls, beginning at just six weeks old, and scatter them across multiple locations, sometimes even under the hoods of parked cars, to retrieve at a later time, keeping their stash safe and their appetites satisfied.
Source => wildlifeonline.me.uk

10. Foxes Join Doggy Paddle Club

Who knew foxes could be members of the doggy paddle club? With an affinity for swimming that's far from superficial, our furry friends do more than just wade in the water: Foxes are adept swimmers who rarely hunt aquatic prey, instead using their swimming skills to escape danger or cross bodies of water to reach new territories.
Source => allthingsfoxes.com

11. Fancy Urban Foxes

Those sly urban foxes have been brushing up on their city etiquette, attending fancy tea parties, and learning to use crosswalks, of course! But proceed with caution, dear human neighbors: While some foxes are growing accustomed to human presence and may seem more approachable, they remain wild animals and should not be treated as pets or trusted blindly.
Source => wildlifeonline.me.uk

12. Foxes' Night Vision

Foxes may not have X-ray vision like Superman, but their eyes are definitely out of this world, or should we say, out of this light spectrum: Foxes can see in light levels up to five or six times lower than humans, thanks to a retina dominated by rod cells, a tapetum lucidium that reflects light, and a multifocal optic system which lets them see some color even in bright light.
Source => wildlifeonline.me.uk

13. Chatterbox Fox Communication

Ever wondered what the fox says? These furry little chatterboxes are the talk show hosts of the animal kingdom, gossipping through the woods with their scents, sounds, and sassy body language: Foxes rely on a trifecta of communication methods - scent marking, vocalizations, and body language - to convey information about territory, cached food, and personal details or emotions with each other.
Source => wildlifeonline.me.uk

14. Tree-Climbing Wizard Foxes

Foxes may not have received their Hogwarts letter, but they didn't let that stop them from acing Care of Magical Creatures: these sly rascals put their enchanted paws to good use and quite literally branch out from their fellow canids by mastering the magical art of climbing trees! Amusing antics aside: foxes are, in fact, skilled tree climbers, utilizing their uniquely curved claws to efficiently scamper up trunks to hunt prey or avoid lurking predators. So the next time you look up, don't be too surprised if you spot a furry wizard-wannabe perched on a branch!
Source => varmentguard.com

15. Foxes' Global Late-Night Buffet

Step aside, food critics; foxes are the original late-night diners with a smorgasbord of global delicacies: These cunning culinary connoisseurs regularly venture out after sunset to feast on a diverse diet, from small rodents and birds to insects, reptiles, and even leftovers past their prime!
Source => animalia.bio

16. Foxy Real Estate

Feeling foxy? Let's talk real estate in the cunning world of foxes: The territory size of a fox depends on resources available, such as the abundance of prey, and can range from non-existent to completely defended, making it impossible to pinpoint an "average" fox territory size.
Source => wildlifeonline.me.uk

17. Fox Fairy Godmothers

Move over, fairy godmothers – foxes have their own magical helpers, too! In a foxy twist to the classic Cinderella story, subordinate vixens moonlight as furry nannies and wet nurses in the animal kingdom: In fact, non-breeding female foxes assist the dominant pair in raising their cubs, contributing to their upbringing with tasks like feeding, grooming, and even lactating – sometimes taking over the entire operation if the dominant female meets an unfortunate fate. The effectiveness of these woodland godmothers remains debated, but one thing's for sure: foxes enjoy communal living with a touch of enchanting teamwork.
Source => wildlifeonline.me.uk