Judging books by their covers, or something like that. They say that eyes are windows into the soul, and there’s a jolt in the raw intensity of a fox. But this one’s apparent mood is misleading; he has diluted pupils due to low light levels, not because he feels as sharp as a cat that has spied its favourite ball.
The fox physique is often misunderstood. Trotting across a road, they seem much bigger than their 14in high selves. And what about their fur? We are taught the fox uniform from childhood: fluffy, sleek, maybe dusted with snow.
Not at the moment, that’s for certain. The male fox with his intense eyes is sporting the almost skin-tight fur of late summer, although the weather is cooling fast and his sleekness will soon abandon him.
The adaptability of foxes is a multidimensional marvel. Not only can they live from the Arctic circle to Saudi Arabia, and eat everything from earthworms to hackberries to wolf-killed deer, they also react to the seasons in a way that our lives in climate-controlled houses find alien. True, our outdoor clothing thickens as the year grows old, but generally we change our whole outfits at once, not from the toes upward.
The Canadian province of Saskatchewan has some of the most extreme seasons on Earth, and this fox – who I met some years ago – has to cope with anything between -50c and +45c. In England, their moults are a little less ragged, but it is still not uncommon for a fox losing its winter coat to be incorrectly suspected of having mange.
Conversely, these perfectly healthy foxes in Croatia (where I worked in 2017) look skinny because the unbearable heat of Dalmatia denies them a thick coat.
For every season, there is a fox, and it wears its own fashion.
Hi Adele. I don’t always comment, but I want you to know how much I appreciate your blog. Your photos are stunning, and the facts you write about foxes and other creatures are interesting. Love and blessings to you!
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Thank you so much Trudy, and same to you!
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That first is a wonderful portrait with so much life expressed in the eyes.
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Thanks!
They are very alive, these foxes. Nothing goes unnoticed by them.
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Hi Adele,
Great pics of our favourite foxes, appreciate all the info re their features and your travels
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Thanks Tony! Hoping to see a few more fox subspecies in the wild once travel is possible again.
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Those foxes have to work hard for their meals. The young one in the video clip looks like he could do with a good breakfast.
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He’s doing okay, I’d say – foxes are naturally a kind of greyhound shape which is more noticeable in summer, but is particularly exaggerated in hotter climates. Long limbs and ears help them keep cool. British foxes tend to be stocky for the opposite reason!
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It’s an amazing animal, you’re lucky you missed
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Thank you! It’s always lovely to see them.
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Lovely photos and very interesting how they are shaped by (and adapt to) their environmental circumstances.
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Foxes are surely one of the flexible designs in nature, in environment as well as weather. I often meet urban people who are confused by the sight of downtown wildlife, but I explain to that the fox, it’s just another new habitat to adapt to, like mountains, deserts or forests.
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That is a good way of explaining it, and I am sure that foxes know a lot more about us – their survival depends on it – than we generally know about them!
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This is a wonderful blog with some great information and wonderful fox portraits, Adele! They are wonderful animals, and so well adapted.
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Thanks Pete! They really do manage to fit in almost everywhere, no matter what the habitat is or what the weather’s doing.
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I saw a fox in Croatia only once. And it looked tiny and skinny 😀
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I’m sure it was relieved to be, in that torrid climate! I’ve never been so hot anywhere…
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Actually, it was back in 1980s – 1988 if I am correct – and in region a bit northern than where you were, it’s called Gorski Kotar. But still it was a small and skinny one.
I’ve heard that recently they introduced lynx to that area, they had to bring it from Romania because native ones were extinct. Better than nothing, I guess.
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That’s good. I’d love to see lynx back in England.
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The Croatian fox has such an amazing big tail! They are very beautiful animals. The ones here in the north have awesome coats and they are very red at this time of year. You’re right about Saskatchewan – huge temperature extremes!
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Some years ago, I came across a family of fox kits in southern Sask and even at five weeks, they had the most amazing fluffy coats! And yes, it is one of the places that seems to have about six seasons in a day at times. Love the prairies.
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You probably know the Sask. saying that goes, “if you don’t like the weather, wait for five minutes.”
I saw a beautiful little fox yesterday, yes, very fluffy. 🙂
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Oh, lovely! Looking forward to seeing North American foxes again if / when travel ever goes back to normal.
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Adele, great post! Love your Foxes!
The days are getting a bit cooler around here too! Won’t be long before the rains!
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It’s definitely turned autumnal here too, with cold, clear mornings and trees thinking of new colours.
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Beautiful foxes becsuse they are wild yet.Super Photos.
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Thank you Nora! They are such lovely animals to watch.
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That’s true.In my country they are murdered by hunter even mothers with their children.It id ile and those people are ile murders . 😦
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That’s true.In my country they are murdered by hunters even mothers with their children.It is ill and those people are ill murderers . 😦
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That is sad. I wish people would leave them alone 😦 We have problems here too sometimes.
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Terrific series, Adele!
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Thanks Belinda! 🙂
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