Red foxes leave evidence of their urban prowling

Many people are surprised at how much wildlife actually lives in the city. Urban wildlife can range in size from mice to coyotes or deer, from tiny black-capped chickadees to great horned owls. Some are quiet and unobtrusive, others much more visible and impactful. Many are nocturnal and active mostly at night, but some are out during the day.

Urban wildlife species have adapted to being around humans and many thrive on the environment created by us. As long as they can find the food, water and shelter needed for survival, an animal will live among humans. Space is often the limiting factor for wildlife. Some species, especially predators, need a larger habitat to meet all of their needs, so they are less common. One of the least often seen, but fairly numerous urban wildlife species is the red fox.

Red foxes have adapted well to cities for two main reasons.

The first is that they are omnivores. Like raccoons and humans, foxes are built to eat just about anything. The ability to survive on plant materials such as grasses and fruit when meat is not available, allow them to get by where larger predators might not do well. However, a high percentage of meat in their diet is important in the winter and when females are raising a litter of young. Mice, gophers, squirrels and rabbits are the preferred prey of red foxes, but they also will eat birds when they can catch them. And, larger invertebrates such as grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles count as meat in their diet.

The second big reason for the foxes’ ability to survive in the city is their behavior. Known as an intelligent species which can learn from experiences, and naturally cautious, foxes are rarely seen even in the wild. A careful observer can easily find signs of activity though.

Solitary foxes do not use dens, but mothers raising young will excavate a den in sparse ground cover on a slight rise which provides views of all approaches. Occasionally a hollow tree or log will be used. The main den entrance will be up to 1 foot wide with several much less conspicuous escape holes nearby. Dens are established in January-February and used until the young disperse in late summer.

Year-round, fox signs can be found in the form of tracks and scat. Fox tracks look just like domestic dog tracks with four toes on each foot and visible claw marks. They are generally about 21/4 inches long and most easily seen in damp sandy soil or shallow snow. Since foxes regularly prowl the edges of wetlands searching for food, stream banks and pond edges are perfect places to look for tracks. Like many dogs, foxes tend to “patrol” areas and will have regular routes used to search for food. If you find fox sign in one area, chances are you will find it there again.

Unlike the cat family, which buries their scat, foxes and coyotes often use scat to help mark their territory boundaries. It is not unusual to find fox scat right in the middle of a trail.

Although most people try to avoid this kind of thing, it can be fun to take a closer look using a handy stick to poke around. An animal’s scat can tell you what they have been eating, and the feces of wild animals tends to not smell at all! Don’t be surprised to see undigested berries or animal fur in fox scat. Remember what they eat and you can probably identify all kinds of things in their scat.

Even though you will only likely find foxes using your backyard if you have a large property, or are bordered by a park, it can be fun looking for signs of these creatures when you are out exploring.

If you would like to see a live fox, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is the perfect place to view all of our native wildlife. In Tacoma, wild foxes are known to frequent the forests and wetlands of the Tacoma Nature Center and Point Defiance. You can learn more this month about foxes at the Nature Center during all open hours.

This month’s column was written by the staff at the Tacoma Nature Center.

FOX FACTS

 • Red foxes actually have several different color phases. The most common phase is rusty-reddish above with white under-parts and black lower legs and ears. But they can be almost all black, in a silver phase and the cross phase with reddish-brown fur and a dark cross across the shoulders.

 • Fox kits are on their own at about 4 months of age, with some young males dispersing as far as 150 miles away.

 • In winter, foxes rarely den up. To sleep comfortably outside, they curl into a tight ball and use their bushy tail to keep their ears, nose and feet warm.

 • The average lifespan for a fox in the wild is 2 to 4 years.

 • A typical fox is 18 to 33 3/4 inches long, with a tail that is 12 to 21 3/4 inches long, and wieghs 6 1/2 to 24 pounds. Watching wildlife

Getting to know urban wildlife is as simple as being observant. Whether you are in your backyard or at a local park, take some time to just observe.

 • Pick a spot away from human activity and get comfortable. Just sit, look and listen for at least 10 minutes at a time. You will be surprised at the nature that starts to move around you. Although birds are the most common form of urban wildlife, you could get lucky and see a mammal, amphibian or reptile.

 • Older children can be encouraged to quietly sit and observe on their own as long as they are in your line of sight. Try giving your child a notebook to tally each new sound as it is heard. They can also draw the animals and other things they see.

 • It would be best if younger children sat with an adult for this exercise.

 • Using a different sense, sounds can be tallied with fingers, a new one held up for each new sound heard. Be sure to count non-nature sounds too. These sounds also are part of that habitat and what the wildlife living in that area experience every day.

 • Using online resources make learning lots of fun for children. You can get fun facts about wildlife, learn about animals and birds and play wildlife games online.

 • Before you depart on a wildlife watching trip or head out to your backyard, it would be helpful to print out mammal and bird checklists. The children, especially younger ones, can check off the species you spot in the park. You can hold a competition among siblings. One Web site worth checking out is www.kidsplanet.org.