Silver Fox Facts:
Weight: 2.7 – 6.8 kg,
European fox being larger than those in North America.
The silver fox is the same species as the red fox, it is merely a
color mutation. The red fox is most commonly a rusty red, with
white underbelly, black ear tips and legs, and a bushy tail with a
distinctive white tip. The "red" tone can very from crimson to
golden and in fact can be brindled or agouti with bands of red,
brown, black and white on each individutal hair when seen close up.
In North America, the red fox's pelt has long, soft hair, whereas
the fur of European red foxes is flatter and less silky.
In the wild, two
other color phases are also seen. The first is silver or
black, comprising 10% of the wild population and most of the farmed.
Silver foxes in particular tend to occur more often in the western
and northern ranges of this species. Approximately 30% of wild
indviduals have additional black patterning, which usually manifests
as a stripe across the shoulders and down the center of the back.
This pattern forms a "cross" over the shoulders, hence the term
"cross fox". "Domesticated" or farmed stock may be almost any
color, including spotted, or marbled varieties. It
should also be mentioned that several colors of fox may be born in
the same litter.
The fox's eyes are
gold to yellow and have distinctive vertically slit pupils, similar
to those of the Felidae. Their eyesight is also as sharp as
that of a feline, and combined with their extreme agility for a
canid, the red fox has been referred to as "the cat-like canid".
Its long bushy tail with distinctive white tip provides balance for
large jumps and complex movement. Its strong legs allow it to
reach speeds of 45 miles per hour, a great benefit to catching prey
or avoiding predators.
During the autumn
and winter, the red fox will grow more fur. This winter fur
keeps the animal warm in the colder environment. The fox sheds
this fur at the onset of spring, reverting back to the short fur for
the duration of the summer. Red foxes are hunted by man, one
of their few enemies, for sport and fur. They are known to be
difficult to trap, as they are very cautious and intelligent.
Fox pelts especially those of silver foxes, are commonly produced
commercially of fox farms. Red fox pelts are used for trimming
and for full fur garments. Farmed silver fox has long glossy,
lightweight fur with natural colors in black and white, giving a
feel of silver. Darker skins have more black and paler skins
more white. Silver fox is traditionally used for collars and
cuffs, wraps and stoles.
Foxes are considered
to be nuisance animals in many states. Like other wild
animals, foxes are considered are considered to vectors of disease,
including rabies. The red fox helps farmers by preying on
animals that damage crops but is considered to be a pest by farmers
involved in poultry farming. Red foxes also are noted for
carrying small carcasses back to their dens to feed their young,
which may account for some poultry, lambs and kids (goat babies, not
) that disappear and are never found.
Silver Fox Experiment:
Tame Silver Foxes are the
results of nearly 50 years of experiments in a breeding project in
Russia set up by the Russian scientist Dmitri Belyawv to domestic
the silver fox. Starting with foxes raised on a fur farm, later
generations became more tame and dog-like, were more friendly with
humans, put their ears down like dogs, wagged their tails when
happy, became to vocalize and bark like domestic dogs and lost their
distinctive musky fox smell.
Food Source: Red foxes are
omnivorous, this dietary adaptablility being one of the main
factores in the species wide distribution. The majority of
their diet consists of invertebrates, such as insects, mollusks,
earthworms and crayfish. Common vertebrate prey includes
rodents such as mice and voles, rabbits, birds, eggs, amphibians,
small reptiles and fish. In urban areas, they will scavenge on
human refuse, and even eat out of pet food bowls left outside.
They typically eat 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lbs) of food a day. Foxes
have a habit of creating food cashes to provide for themselves in
times of scarcity.