With spring comes the emergence of many young animals. Whether it be fawns, bear cubs or young eagles or owls, this is the season of new life. 

A few days back, I was walking past a house when two shapes emerged from under a garage. They appeared to be mammals given their size and movement, but did not move like squirrels or rabbits. As I got a little closer, I could see that they were fox kits (young foxes). Evidently there is a den under the garage.

There are two fox species in the region: the red fox and the gray fox. Red foxes are more of a pure red color and have white-tipped tails. Gray foxes have a darker head and body, with a darker ridge running down its back. The gray appearance is due to an abundance of off-white guard hairs. The term, “silver fox” comes from the appearance of some individual foxes due to these light-colored guard hairs.

Breeding takes place around February. After a gestation period of two months, the pups, or kits, are born. The young are nursed by the female until they are about three months of age, and the young can hunt on their own at four months. 

Foxes can have up to 10 young, and four to six is considered to be an average litter. 

The kits will stay with their parents until the fall before going out on their own. The fox is largely a carnivore, but it will eat plant matter, such as apples and berries, and also insects such as grasshoppers when available. The grey fox also has the unique ability to climb trees. 

If you see an area that appears to be a fox den, keep your distance and watch. Foxes are mostly nocturnal, but the kits are frequently seen during the day play-fighting or otherwise interacting with each other. 

Finally, to answer the question “What does the fox say?”: Well, the gray fox sounds like a raspy bark, but the red fox takes the Oscar award for the most melodramatic; its call almost sounds like a human scream.

Scott Rando is a naturalist and outdoor person, and has been writing for the River Reporter since 2006.