red fox (scientific name: Vulpes vulpes): It is an animal of the canine family and the genus fox. There are 47 subspecies. Among them, three subspecies are listed in the "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Appendix I, Appendix II and Appendix III" (CITES) 2019 Class III.
The red fox is the largest and most common fox. The adult body is about 70 cm long, the hind legs are 13.5-17.2 cm, and the skull base is 13.4-16.9 cm long.
Body shape is long and slender. The snout is pointed and long, the nasal bones are slender, the front of the frontal bone is flat, with a narrow groove in the middle, and the ears are large, high and pointed, and upright. The limbs are shorter and the tail is longer, slightly more than half the body length. The tail shape is thick, the coat is long and fluffy, the body is covered with long needle hair , and the winter hair has a rich undercoat. The upper part of the back of the ear is black, which is obviously different from the hair color of the head, and the tail tip is white.
The soles of the feet have thick and short hairs; they have tail glands, which can impart a peculiar smell, called "fox smelt"; 4 pairs of nipples. There are many variants of body color among red foxes, such as black foxes or swarthy foxes with black body color; silver foxes with black undercoat, but with white hair tips, which show silver brilliance under light. Or black fox; the whole body is auburn, with black cross-shaped hair on the shoulders is called the cross fox, in addition to the Japanese sword fox, etc., but different color types do not represent different subspecies, and no matter what color type, tail The tips are all white.
The habitat of red foxes is very diverse, such as forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, hills, plains and near villages, and even in the suburbs. It is generally recorded that the red fox lives in soil caves, tree caves or abandoned caves for animals, and badger caves are used in northern areas, or expanded and used.
Sometimes they even live in the same cave with the badger. Most activities on the hillside, often inhabiting large rock crevices or ravines,Only live in the nest during the breeding season. The nest of the red fox is a hole with a diameter of about 25-30 cm, often 2-3 meters deep underground.
Generally on the sunny hillside, where the soil is looser, there are fewer rocks, and it is easy to make holes. The red foxes either use badger caves, old caves or tomb caves, or dig holes under large rocks. Red foxes often live in a cave, including one female and several males, and each fox group has a certain area of red foxes. Generally, they come out at night and crouch in the cave during the day.
Red fox likes to live in dirt dens, tree holes or rock crevices, and sometimes occupy the nests of rabbits, badgers and other animals. In winter, moisture emerges from the entrance of the cave, and there is obvious frost and scattered Footprints, urine and feces, etc. There is new soil dug around the entrance of the cave in summer, with obvious footprints on it, and a very strong scent of fox. However, the living quarters of red foxes are often not fixed, and they usually live alone except during the breeding and rearing periods.
The red fox has a well-developed sense of hearing and smell, is cunning, and has quick actions. Like to be alone. Prey at night. Usually go out at night and sleep in a cave during the day. The long tail can prevent moisture and keep warm, but in remote places, sometimes they will come out to find food during the day.
Although the legs and feet of the red fox are short, the claws are very sharp, and they run very fast. When chasing prey, they can reach speeds of more than 50 kilometers per hour, and they are good at swimming and climbing trees. It mainly feeds on meadow voles, mice, squirrels, and rabbits. It also eats wild birds, frogs, fish, insects, etc., as well as various wild fruits and crops.
Red foxes are suspicious, and most of them first carefully observe the surrounding environment when they act. Therefore, there is the term "skeptical" in China. When encountering an enemy, the red fox will use a secret weapon hidden in the body-the anal glands, secrete " body odor" that can almost suffocate other animals. The foul smell makes the pursuers have to stop. Come down.
In critical situations, the red fox can also escape into the flock of sheep, jump into the river and hide. The red fox caught by the hunter also has the ability to "play dead". It can temporarily breathe weakly, seems to be dying, and is at the mercy of others, but when it is unprepared, it suddenly escapes quickly. These cunning behaviors are the superb means of survival of the Red Fox.
Red fox is not only a predator, but also a random omnivorous, even a "killer", including vole , house mouse, chinchilla , kangaroo, golden flower All kinds of wild mice and hares, including mice, are the main food. They also eat frogs, fish, birds, bird eggs, insects, etc., and they will not let go of animal carcasses or food in the garbage abandoned by humans. Also eat strawberries, acorns, grapes and other wild fruits or berries.
If the food cannot be eaten for a while, it will carefully choose a hidden place, carefully bury it, and go through some camouflage to eliminate all traces before leaving, so as not to be discovered by other animals.
The red fox likes to tease the prey that can no longer escape, and often kills all the prey that can be caught, and never releases it. This is called "killing behavior". The cause may be instinct, or it may be caused by Caused by a certain stimulus, or a combination of two reasons.
"Killing behavior" refers to a strange behavior of some ferocious carnivorous animals during hunting, that is, killing a prey that far exceeds their own food at a time. Generally speaking, animal hunting is to satisfy the food needs of white people. However, the "killing behavior" clearly violates this rule. More research has found that not only red foxes, but also many animals such as lions, polar bears , leopards, etc., all have "killing behavior".
Animal science information comes from Baidu Baike, hereby declare. #动物保护# #摄影头条# #狐狸美人儿# #狐狸摄影#
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