Page 26 - World of Animals - Issue #39

50 fox facts

39. Corsac foxes 40. A fox was

are one of the Charles Darwin
discoverd by
slowest runners The Darwin’s fox was brought back
from San Pedro Island in Chile by
naturalist Charles Darwin in 1834.
Foxes don’t make great runners, and the corsac fox is This species of fox is now Critically
possibly the worst of the bunch. Unfortunately, they are Endangered.
an easy catch for hunters and dogs can catch up with
one without even really trying. This makes corsac foxes 41. The fennec
a firm favourite amongst fur traders and in the late 19th
century around 10,000 were killed annually for their pelt. fox is the
smallest species
Weighing just 0.67-1.6 kilograms
(1.5-3.5 pounds), the fennec fox is
the smallest fox in the world. Being
so small makes them vulnerable to
predators, and this could be one of
the reasons why they are also the
only fox species to live in packs.
42. 16 per cent
of the cape fox
population is
lost annually
Due to collisions on roads with
vehicles, or through being hunted
and persecuted as vermin, 2,500
individuals are killed every year
throughout Zimbabwe, Botswana,
and South Africa.
43. The idea that
foxes kill for fun

is a myth
This myth probably stems from when
foxes break into hen houses. A fox’s
natural instinct is to kill all the easily
caught prey, and bury it for later. This
is because of their scavenger nature.
They will return for the remaining
corpses if given the option, but usually
an angry owner will have discovered
the bloodshed before the fox has
opportunity to return.

44. Cape foxes will 45. When a fox dies,
always let you know another one occupies
what they’re thinking the vacant territory
One of the more expressive species of fox, Cape foxes in three to four days
are usually quiet, but whine and chirp to communicate There are more foxes than land to live on and foxes
with each other, and growl and hiss when they can spend a long time on the move trying to find a
feel aggressive, sometimes even spitting. When home patch. When a fox dies, there will always be
something makes them jump, they let out a loud bark a new one ready to take its place, which is why fox
and when they are excited they raise their tail high in culls will always be unsuccessful. If foxes are being
the air. Studies have shown that he higher their tail is
in the air, the more excited they are. a nuisance, it’s much more effective to try and deter
them from the area rather than cull them.
“Cape foxes are usually quiet, but whine and
chirp to communicate with each other ”

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