Retractable claws are a feature most commonly found within the cat (Felidae) family of animals, and also in some members of the Viverridae family such as genets and civets.

Foxes, however, are members of the dog (Canidae) family. Because of this, foxes cannot retract their claws, with the exception of one particular species: the gray fox. Gray foxes have partially retractable claws, capable of lifting off the ground when running. This means that gray fox tracks typically do not contain visible claw marks, as is found in other fox tracks.

Unfortunately foxes usually only live for one or two years in captivity due to their sole predators, humans. However, foxes that are left alone have been known to survive up to nine years. Many foxes are raised on factory farms and are stuffed into tiny, filthy, wire cages where they live for a few years in poor conditions until they are later killed to make products like clothing.

Other foxes living in the wild are often caught in steel trap jaws that crush their legs. Trappers arrive and take them to the factory farms to kill them to make into fur, or beat them to death right there on the spot. Fox fur is often found on coats, cuffs, collars, trim, etc. As if this isn’t bad enough, others are often hunted by hunting dogs for sport. The dogs chase them up a tree and then tear them apart once they get a hold of them.

Most canids use urine combined with preputial gland secretions to mark their territories. Many species of canids, including the fox use a raised-leg posture when urinating. The scent of a fox’s urine is very strong, especially in the winter right before mating season. Red foxes use their urine to mark their territories. The male fox raises his hind leg and sprays his urine forward, whereas female foxes squat down so that urine is sprayed in the ground between its hind legs.

In addition, foxes also spray urine to mark empty cache sites. Foxes take part in this spraying behavior as a way to remind themselves not to waste time investigating them again. Red foxes use various postures to urinate, depending on where they are leaving a scent mark.

Foxes are omnivores and eat a wide variety of plant and animal matter. Each individual fox can have a slightly different diet, usually depending on what type of foods are available in or near his or her specific habitat. Foxes are opportunistic hunters and their diets change with the season and availability of food sources.

These wild animals hunt live prey and have in fact been known to eat voles. They are also particularly fond of smaller mammals, rodents, rabbits, and hares. They have also been known to eat eggs, small birds, frogs, lizards, snakes, and carrion. They enjoy eating insects like grasshoppers and will also occasionally dine on berries and fruits, including but not limited to blackberries, strawberries, apples, and plums.

In addition to the items listed above, foxes might also be found eating grass, fungi, and grains. While arctic foxes eat fish and mollusks. The dessert fox consumes rabbits, lizards, snakes, and even earth worms. Foxes that live nearby urban areas or neighborhoods have been known to eat out of garbage bins and compost piles. If you leave pet food out they might also find their way into it every now and then.

Technically, foxes do not hibernate during the cold winter months. They keep to themselves during fall and early winter and can be found staying within a one to two mile radius when searching for food in the area. Occasionally they might extend this range if food happens to be scarce.

Although foxes do not hibernate during winter, they will take refuge during extreme weather conditions and can be found reducing their activity levels and taking shelter for a day or two until the weather gets nicer. Once the weather has calmed down enough they are able to go back outside to search for food and carry about their normal fox business.

Foxes, much like cats and dogs, do have whiskers. Typically, however, a fox’s whiskers are usually longer than a dog’s whiskers. In addition to having whiskers on their face, foxes also have whiskers located on their wrists that they use as “feelers”, much like cats do. Again, much like cats, foxes use these whiskers on their wrists to help move around in the dark more efficiently, it also helps them sense what is around them.

Thanks to their whiskers and good eyesight, foxes are very good at hunting prey in the dark. The pupils of their eyes have vertical slits which open very wide to gather light. Their eyes also consist of special layers that help collect light. With keen eyes for hunting, and super sensitive whiskers for sensing movement and efficiently traveling in the dark, A fox’s prey is no match for these creatures.

Foxes are edible. Sadly, many people hunt these creatures for sport, kill them as pests, while others often hunt and eat them for game. While fox meat is edible, it is also very tough and has a wild taste about it. It has been said that in order to tenderize fox meat, it should be soaked overnight in salt water and a tiny bit of vinegar. The next day it should be cooked on a low heat for four hours or so. Fox meat has almost no fat and tends to be very dry like deer meat.

Although foxes are not aggressive animals by nature, they have been known to attack if they feel threatened or cornered. Foxes are naturally very timid creatures, and can become very tamed, however just like any wild animal, they cannot fully be trusted as they are far from being domesticated. Keeping a fox as a pet can be difficult for a number of reasons. Besides being unpredictable, they also have a very musky fox odor, that some have said is even worse than that of a ferret’s. These canines also have very sharp teeth that can seriously harm someone if they resort to their wild instincts. Most states will destroy a pet fox if it bites someone as there is no vaccination protocol, and it can be difficult to get a veterinarian to see a fox.

Foxes are technically opportunistic feeders as they will basically eat whatever they can find, whether it be small animals or fruit. Foxes are quite cunning when it comes to hunting their prey, often springing at the animal and killing it immediately. Foxes can often be found eating mice and other rodents, eggs, voles, smaller mammals and birds, frogs, snakes, fish, carrion, food that humans have left out, berries, grasses, fruits, grains, etc. While birds are hardest for the fox to catch, they will chase after the winged creatures in times of food scarcity as a last resort if need be.

Although a fox might appear large from a distance, the truth of the matter is that foxes are actually rather small animals. These canids, are medium sized, with a typical male fox weighing in at 4 to 8 kilograms and a female weighing just a tiny bit smaller, anywhere from 4 to 6 kilograms.

The length of a fox’s head and body combined is about 67 to 72 centimeters in males and about 62 to 68 centimeters in females. A fox’s tail, which in males is about 40 to 44 centimeters and 37 to 41 centimeters in females, actually represents about a third of their total body length. The body weight of a fox can also vary depending on the breed of fox and the different regions in which the creatures reside. In Britain, an average fox is not much bigger than a house cat.