Who are foxes: dogs with cat’s behavior or cats with dog’s appearances?
They belong to dog, but look like cats. Foxes are mammals that belong to the canidae family, which includes dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals. Despite their similarities to the aforementioned animals, foxes also have much in common with cats, which do not belong to this family. Like cats, foxes are nocturnal and have excellent night vision thanks to their vertical pupils. They also have very sensitive whiskers that allow them to detect changes in the environment around them, and some species can even climb trees thanks to their retractable claws.
Fox is the most widespread predator in the world
The red fox is the most common species. In fact, this species of fox is the most widely distributed over the world. Being omnivorous and therefore having a varied diet, they can easily survive in a wide variety of conditions. Red foxes can be found throughout almost the entire northern hemisphere and in Australia.
Foxes use the planet’s magnetic field to hunt
Scientists believe that foxes use the Earth’s magnetic field to hunt. Although they do not understand how exactly this mechanism works, it is a fact, that foxes have over 70% success in their hunt when they face magnetic North. However, if they face the other direction, the success rate is less than 20%. To hunt small rodents, foxes jump on their prey to kill it quickly
Longevity
Foxes can live for 10 to 15 years. However, wild foxes typically live only 2 to 3 years due to factors such as hunting, roadkill, and disease. In captivity, they can easily live for more than 10 years.
Kind of foxes
There are 12 different species of foxes. In fact, over 20 different species have been discovered over time, although some ofthem disappeared.
The fennec fox, also known as the desert fox, is the smallest species of fox in the world, about the size of a cat. Despite their small size, their ears are about 15 cm long, which is useful for listening for their prey and for radiating body heat, allowing them to maintain an ideal temperature when exposed to the desert heat. Another interesting feature of this species is the fact that their paws are covered in fur, allowing them to walk on the hot desert sand.
The arctic fox can withstand temperatures below. The Arctic fox lives in the northernmost regions of our planet and has excellent cold tolerance. This species is able to live in environments with temperatures below -50 C. Its white fur is perfect for camouflage in the snow from predators.
Some interesting facts about foxes
Foxes can make over 40 different sounds, which they use in different situations. The fox has a unique sense of hearing. It puts its ear to the ground and listens to where rodents are moving in their holes. It can stand still for a long time, and then suddenly makes a jump, a very long one, sometimes up to 2 m high. It buries its face in the snow and pulls out a rodent.
They can run with a speed approx. 68 km/h, that make them one of the fastest land animals in the world. This speed is important when hunting, but more important is to be able to escape from predators.
Like cats, foxes are nocturnal. Their vertically slanted pupils allow them to see better in dim light. Foxes also climb trees, use their whiskers for navigation, and even stalk prey like cats.
