Fox fact file

We’ve partnered with Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital to bring you this fascinating fact file as part of our ‘Tails’ of UK Wildlife campaign.

Read on and venture into the mysterious realm of the fox…

What are they? 

Mammals.

Scientific name: Vulpes vulpes

Where are they from? 

There are many locations across the UK where you’re likely to find a fox, from mixed woodland and salt marshes to mountain tops and urban cityscapes.

However, the only places foxes aren’t found in the UK include the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Man, and Scottish islands. 

What's their average life span?

While some wild foxes have been recorded as having lived up to around nine years, the average age for a wild fox is just three years.

How big are they?

Height at shoulder: 40cm

Body length: 55cm-75cm

Tail length: 40cm

Weight: 5kg-9kg

What do they eat?

Foxes are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they eat a very varied diet, including a vast array of food sources like wild rabbits, voles, insects, fruit, and leftovers discarded by people. 

Are foxes nocturnal?

It’s complicated! Some believe that foxes are nocturnal, especially when their spine-chilling screams can often be heard at night. Whereas others consider the fox to be crepuscular, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk.

Plus, to make matters more complicated, foxes may be seen wandering around during the day in urban areas, too!

Do foxes mate for life?

Yes! Well, most of the time. Foxes usually mate for life and live in family groups – though some foxes have been known to have cubs with multiple partners.

A fox family group tends to include a dominant male, a.k.a. ‘dog’, a dominant female, a.k.a. ‘vixen’, and that year’s litter, a.k.a. ‘cubs’.

Did you know? According to research, some male foxes were found to be so faithful to their vixens that they mourned them, and refused to pair with another, when their partner passed away. Meanwhile, other male foxes travel long distances to mate with other vixens after successfully producing cubs with their first partner.

Winter is the preferred time for mating – which is when you’re most likely to hear those terrifying, screaming calls in the middle of the night! Then, in spring, a vixen will give birth to a litter of 4-5 cubs who are cared for by both parents. 

Cubs grow quickly, becoming self-sufficient by the autumn. Sometimes, fox cubs will stay with their family group to help raise their siblings the following year, whereas others opt to establish their own territories.

How many are there?

Although there’s an estimated 375,000 foxes living in the UK, records show there’s a decline in rural fox populations of around 48% between 1995 and 2022. 

While UK foxes have no natural predators in the wild, the biggest threat facing fox populations is humans.

Three fun facts about foxes

Fact 1 – Despite their feline-like agility while hunting, foxes are members of the dog family, ‘Canidae’.

Fact 2 – Some foxes will compete for food with nearby badgers, though others end up living next-door to each other in badger setts!

Fact 3 – Just like our pet dogs, foxes wag their tails and show signs of affection when greeting family members (how wonderful?!).

What threats do foxes face?

Foxes face several threats in their day-to-day life that may cause them to become fatally sick or injured. These can include:

• Road traffic accidents: An estimated 100,000 foxes are killed by cars on UK roads each year, which is unsustainable for wild populations. 
• Habitat loss and depleted food sources: Intensification of agriculture can lead to loss of natural food for foxes. 
• Hunting and cubbing: Resulting in life threating injuries or orphaned cubs.
• Inhumane deterrents: The use of inhumane deterrents such as shooting, trapping, or poisoning can cause suffering and are often fatal. 

Actions you can take to help foxes

In case you’re feeling inspired to help the distinctive red fox, here are a few of the actions you can take on their behalf:

• Support charities, like Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital, who are working tirelessly to raise awareness and care for foxes in need.
• If you wish to provide supplementary food to support foxes, then visit our Wildlife Feeding Guide to find out the safest way to support urban foxes. 
• Know what to do in an emergency involving a fox, e.g. road traffic accident.
• Enjoy the wonders of your wildlife garden visitors from a safe distance. Urban foxes can become tame incredibly quickly, which can cause them to run into potentially dangerous encounters with humans and pets. To keep everyone safe, avoid close contact, touching, or encouraging foxes to feed near houses.

Learn more about Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital 

Having introduced you to the fantastical world of the fox, we’d like to introduce you to Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital:

• This wildlife hospital is based in Sidlesham, West Sussex, and is equipped to treat a wide range of wildlife species, including the fox.
• The aim of Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital is to treat and rehabilitate ill, injured, or orphaned wildlife casualties, help get them back to full health, then release them.
• Although the charity supports the public, RSPCA, and local vets with wildlife admissions and advice, they receive no government funding. So, Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital relies solely on the generosity of supporters to continue their life-saving work.

To learn more about the charity’s dedication and passion for wildlife and stay up to date with the latest animals they’ve helped, visit their blog or follow them on Facebook.

For further information on the steps you can take towards a wilder future, don’t forget to check out our article about creating wildlife-friendly spaces in affordable, accessible ways!