Living in different landscape and climatic zones is reflected not only in the habits and habits of foxes, but also determines the color and size of these animals. In particular, fox tracks from different regions differ markedly.
General information
A characteristic feature of the cat family is the presence of a vertical pupil, for comparison, in wolves and dogs, the pupil is round. In addition, foxes confirm their relationship with other felines by their hunting habits. The fact is that they hunt exclusively alone, while demonstrating excellent agility and running speed. Foxes inhabit almost the entire territory of Russia. Their weight is 5-10 kg, the length varies within 60-90 cm, and the tail often exceeds half of the body with the head in length. The footprints of individuals living in the northern regions are larger than the fox's footprints in semi-deserts and southern regions.
Fox color
In the usual sense, a fox is a ginger beast. Orange-red tones do often predominate, but foxes with a predominantly black shade of fur, as well as white fur, are also found. Foxes are widespread, in which the top of the body has an auburn color, while their chest is light. The shoulder blades of such individuals are decorated with a cross pattern, the end of the tail is certainly white, and the back of the triangular ears is black.
Compared to European foxes, their taiga relatives are larger. Due to their lush fur and rich color, East Siberian foxes have received the nickname moths. There are also foxes with a dark red belly and brownish crosses (the so-called shoulder crosses). Sivodushki foxes living in northern Siberia are distinguished by a red shade of wool with a prominent dark gray neck and belly. Representatives of the family with scattered bright spots on the body and muzzle are less common.
Newborn cubs have a fluffy coat of dark brown color, the tip of their small tail is covered with white fur. By 2-3 months, the fur changes, in August, winter fur begins to grow and finally matures by the end of December.
In the same litter with red foxes, animals of other colors can be born. In the wild, black individuals are rarely found, but it was from them that the fur farms bred foxes, whose fur is highly valued today, along with the fur of the silver fox.
Trail features
The fox's paw has 5 toes, but 1 toe is not visible on the tracks because it is too high. Accordingly, the footprints of both fox paws are 4 fingerprints. The footprint resembles the paws of a medium-sized dog, only in a fox it is stretched and more graceful. The paws of the paws are pushed back, which allows you to make a match or draw a line between the middle fingers. It is this feature that helps hunters distinguish a fox from a dog on the trail.
