Red Fox
Locations near Fort Collins:
- Most neighborhoods with a water source (stream, pond, etc.)
- Spring Creek Trail
- Grandview Cemetery
- Red Fox Meadows Natural Area
When in the Fort Collins area:
Red fox (vulpes vulpes) thrive in Fort Collins year round. This carnivorous mammal of the canine family is a master adaptor and opportunist eating whatever is available, and tends to do well in city environments.
Notes:
There are several species of fox in North America: red, gray, arctic and kit (or swift). Red and gray are the two most common but in Colorado we have red and swift foxes. Red fox are seen in a wide variety of color variations – from an almost completely black phase to a silver phase (black with silver-tipped hairs) to a reddish brown phase and everything in between. The distinguishing feature of the red fox, not matter what color coat, versus other fox species is the white-tipped tail; the red fox is the only fox to have this feature. Although the typical red phase is most commonly seen in town, a few black phase fox have been spotted in town, near Horsetooth Reservoir and in Loveland.
Fox live about 3-7 years in the wild. Fox will mate in late January through early March, giving birth in late March through early May after a gestation period of 51-53 days. Fox have one litter a year with 4-5 kits born in a den. Newborns are trained in the cunning skills of a fox through the summer by their mother and then weaned to live on their own by fall. They will be ready to mate that winter.
Interesting Facts
- Red fox are the largest ranging carnivore in the world.
- A 2011 article in National Geographic considered the possibility of raising fox as pets.
References:
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