Ontario Home To Three Fox Species

2009

Many people do not realize that Ontario is home to three fox species:
the Red, Grey and Arctic.

However the Red Fox is the most common. It's my guess that most individuals have, at one time or another, seen a red fox since their range encompasses almost all parts of North America except regions well above the Arctic Circle, most of Asia - including the Arabian Desert - all of Europe, North Africa and even south Australia, where it was introduced by settlers in the mid-1800s.

The Red Fox's highly sensitive hearing is particularly adept at zeroing in on low-frequency sounds made by small mammals moving about and feeding either in tall grass or under the snow. They are excellent mousers. In fact, the Red Fox has been called by some researchers, the worlds most successful carnivore. However, this is where there seems to be some debate about whether the fox, regardless of type, is truly a carnivore and should be classified as such. During my studies in zoology I was told that the fox, while certainly being a predator, was not officially classified as a carnivore. Rather, officially it is classed as an omnivore, meaning its diet consists of nuts, berries and other fruit and vegetable matter but which also includes carrion. The debate rages on!

The Red Fox mainly hunts at night but they can be seen during the day usually during late February and March. This is the time of year when the male is much more active as it searches out a mate. It is not unusual to see them during the day at this time of year, so don't panic, chances are good they are not rabid, but more than likely simply looking for a sweetheart.

Foxes are territorial, with the Red Fox being no different. The adults defend a range totaling a few square kilometres in size. The male, as with other dog species scent-marks its territory with strong smelling urine. Their den is usually a recycled Ground Hog hole or other den hole originally occupied by another animal of similar size, or in some cases, a totally new den may be dug. Their den can also be located in a log or under a barn or other type of building.

The "Red" prefers farm-like areas that have small tracts of bush with large open fields and is constantly on the lookout for danger from Coyotes and in more northerly areas from Wolves.

NOTE: Wolves, Coyotes, and Fox do not get along well with each other despite being members of the same canid family.
During the month of March one year while hiking through the woods, I discovered a fox that had been killed either by a Wolf or a Coyote and then buried (cached) head first into a hole in the snow.

Both the Coyote and the Red Fox (members of the canid or dog family) prefer a variety of habitats and can be found even in densely populated urban areas. Both these species are highly adaptable, and as a result, are excellent survivors.

The female will give birth to between three and eight kits in April or May which weigh about 100 grams at birth. The young will leave their parents and be independent by roughly four months old.

Red Fox Stats:

Weight - 3.7 - 6.8 kg
Total length - 90 - 112 cm
Shoulder Height - 38 - 42 cm
Tail Length - 34 - 44 cm
Mating - March

 

ARCTIC FOX

Two of Ontario's three fox species live in extreme opposite ends of the province.

The Arctic Fox, for example, is found obviously in the Arctic, especially on the coasts of Hudson and James Bay where it scavenges the odd meal from the remains of kills made by larger predators.
Arctic Foxes also feed on rodents, birds, eggs, rabbits, seal pups and insects. Existing commonly on the tundra, this fox has been known to migrate south during the coldest and most inhospitable times of the winter well into the tree line. As the weather warms and improves it returns to the tundra. The Arctic Fox is the only member of the indigenous canid group that undergoes a change in the color of its coat pelage a couple of times a year. In summer the coat is generally bluish-grey, while in winter it's entirely white. Sometimes during winter the Arctic Foxes coat can turn a blue-black to pearl-grey color, more commonly known as the "blue" phase.

The female (vixen) ,on average, gives birth to between five and eight young. On rare occasions when food is scarce, cannibalism is known to occur amongst pups, (or kits) as they are also called.

Arctic Fox Stats:

Weight - 1.8 - 4.1 kg
Total length - 74-90 cm
Shoulder Height - 24-32 cm
Tail length - 28-34 cm
Mating - mid-February to late March

 

GREY FOX

In the south western region of Ontario one can find the Grey Fox. It is also found around the Thunder Bay and Rainy Lake areas in the north west of the province.

The Grey Fox has a truly remarkable defense system - it can run up a tree. It is on record as the only North American canid species that can climb a tree. According to researchers it spends time sleeping and resting on tree branches as well. There also exist rare accounts of these mammals denning and raising their young in tree holes several metres off the ground.

You can identify this Fox by its long stiff grey back and tail fur which give it a grizzled appearance. It may have a line of black fur running up the centre of the top side of the tail as well with the base of the tail being black tipped. White and reddish highlights can often be seen on its underbelly.

The "Grey' is never far from trees and thickets and prefers forest to more open country side favoured by the Red Fox or to tundra like where the Arctic Fox can be found. In fact the majority of the Grey Fox population is found south of the Canadian border in the U.S. They range through most of the eastern United States and from Texas to California, the west coast of Oregon, with sparse populations in Colorado and Utah.

Populations of this Fox in Ontario appear to be consistently low. When coupled with its nocturnal behaviour, the chances of seeing this species are extremely limited.

The Grey Fox prefers mice, meadow voles, rabbits and myriad invertebrates and does not appear to have a predilection for chickens, a reason why farmers don't seem to mind this fox being around. In addition, another reason why agricultural areas don't mind this fox too much is because it also consumes large numbers of grasshoppers and other insects harmful to crops. As well, when compared to other fox species a large proportion of its diet is vegetarian, i.e. apples, seeds, nuts and grasses.

Grey Fox Stats:

Weight - 3.4 - 5.9 kg
Total Length - 81 - 112 cm
Shoulder Height - 35 - 38 cm
Tail Length - 27 - 43 cm

The Red, Arctic, and Grey fox are all intriguing and highly adapted animals in their given geographical environments. It is also surprising that they are members of the canid family at all since they are really more cat-like than dog. Their eyes are cat-like, their paws closely resemble that of a cat, and the overall physical size of their frame is very light and delicate compared to other members of the dog family. But, regardless of their cat-like features, these foxes are also valuable contributors to aiding in a healthy ecosystem. Although overall these three Ontario fox species have fared reasonably well, another fox species has not.

The Swift Fox, a prairie-dwelling cousin of Ontario's foxes was totally wiped out in Canada in the 1930's due to loss of habitat and poisoning. Reintroduction efforts have been underway since the mid-1990's to try and repopulate areas with this fox in the western prairie provinces of Canada with some success.