A born survivor with a bushy tail. Ever adaptable, the fox is equally at home in our woods or city streets. It sits top of the woodland food chain with a diet that takes in everything from birds and beetles to rabbits and rats.  

Foxes are opportunistic omnivores and this allows them to survive in a wide range of habitats. Rabbits and field voles are common prey, but a fox’s diet can include everything from worms and beetles to deer fawns and fruit. Urban foxes still hunt live prey, but will also take advantage of any food discarded by people.

Foxes are present in most of our woods, but your best chance of seeing one may well be in a town or city. Urban foxes often become accustomed to humans, allowing you to get good views. Rural foxes tend to be much warier and are harder to see. Foxes are crepuscular, meaning they are most active around dawn and dusk, but it is not unusual to see them during the day, especially in urban areas.

Even if you don’t spot a fox on a woodland walk, you may see signs of their presence. Fox poo, known as scat, is often deposited on footpaths and prominent spots such as molehills and rocks. It is normally twisted and will contain remains of the fox’s food, such as fur and bones.

The largest threats to the red fox population include habitat loss and fragmentation, exploitation and hunting. In the early 1900s, red foxes were routinely hunted, as well as raised, for their fur. Red fox fur was one of the most in-demand furs on the market, second only to mink. Habitat loss and degradation is a large problem for red fox populations today; however, the species is resilient, and with such a varied diet they’ve been able to adapt to and flourish in agricultural and urban areas.

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