Red fox

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The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the only Central European representative of foxes and is therefore usually referred to as “the fox”. It is the most common wild dog in Europe.

Features

General characteristics

The body dimensions of the red fox are subject to strong variations geographically and seasonally. The body weight is on average 5 to 8 kg for males and 5 to 6.5 kg for females. Heavier animals (up to 14.5 kg) are rare. The body length (without tail) is 65 to 75 cm for males, 62 to 68 cm for females, the tail length corresponding to 35 to 45 cm or 30 to 42 cm (average values for European foxes).

The coat is red on the top, white on the underside; the shade varies, depending on the distribution range, on the top between reddish yellow to deep red brown and on the bottom between pure white to oblique grey. The lower parts of the legs as well as the rear sides of the ears are colored black. Overall, the skin coloration varies greatly. The most common color variant is the Birkfuchs with yellow-red top, white throat and white tail tip. The rarer cabbage or firefox is altogether dark, predominantly dark brown-red, belly and throat are grey white, the white tail tip is missing. The cross fox has a dark stripe across the shoulders and along the back. The silver fox is dark gray to black (→ silver fox skin).
The fox goes through two fur changes a year. In the spring from the beginning of April he loses the dense winter fur, at the same time the light summer fur is formed. This becomes visible on the lower legs from the end of April and has captured the legs, abdomen and flanks until the end of June. The coat change continues across the face to the back to the tip of the tail, which is reached in late August. Only in September is the summer fur complete. Already in October, the winter fur is formed again from the legs via the tail, back and face.

Traces

The following gaits occur in the red fox:

Trab: The impressions of the hind paws are offset obliquely in front of those of the approximately equal-sized front paws, the body position being slightly oblique to the direction of movement.
Fast trot ("laces"): the fox sets the paws so that the left hind paw enters the imprint of the right front paw and vice versa. This results in a track in which the impressions are arranged as on a string at a distance of about 30 cm.
Escape: with different footsteps and changing stride lengths.

The single imprint with main balls, four toe balls and claws is similar to that of a small dog and differs in the following combination of features:

the imprint of the fox is elongated and oval, it can look round in winter due to stronger hair,
the two front toes are forwarded, their rear edges are approximately on a line (or slightly above) with the front edges of the outer toe balls (be