Student Research Paper Foxes

Student Research Paper Foxes

Description      The fox is a member of the dog family. Most foxes are about the same size. The red and gray foxes grow from 23 to 27 inches long. The tail measures an additional 14 to 16 inches. Most weigh from 8 to 11 pounds.

     

  Foxes look like small slender dogs. They have bushy tails. They have large pointed ears and a long sharp snout. A fox has 5 toes on each foot. The first of these toes is not developed and does not reach the ground.

     Most foxes carry their tails straight backward when running. The tail droops when the animal walks.

     True foxes include the arctic fox, the gray fox, and the red fox. The red fox have bright rusty red or red orange fur with a whitish fur on the belly. The gray fox is covered with fur that looks like salt and pepper mixed together. Its under parts are whitish. The sides of the neck, shoulders, and legs and the underside of the tail are rust colored. The arctic fox has fur which is brown or gray in the summer to white in the winter.

Habitat

     Red foxes live in most of Asia, Europe, and in the northern parts of North America. Gray foxes live in most of the United States, Mexico, Central America, and in parts of South America. Foxes are found in farmlands and forests, deserts,   and in wooded areas of some cities. They live in family groups while they are young. Adults live alone or in pairs. Foxes do not live in packs like wolves do. Foxes live in dens during the winter. The den may be underground, in caves, among rocks, or in hollow logs or trees.

Food

     Foxes are skillful hunters. They eat almost any animal they can catch. Foxes especially like mice and other kinds of rodents. They also hunt birds, frogs, insects, lizards, and rabbits. Most foxes eat many kinds of fruits. They may even eat the remains of a dead animal. Foxes hide their uneaten food by burying it. They hunt mostly at night.

Young

     The female gives birth in the late winter or early spring. The baby is called a pup. The red fox has 4 to 9 pups at a time. The gray fox has only 3 to 5 pups at a time. The pups weigh about 4 ounces when they are born. Their eyes are closed. After 9 days the pups open their eyes. Babies drink their mother's milk for about 5 weeks. The young live on their own in the late summer and may wander form their place of birth.