carvignone-la-volpe - immaginidambiente

WHO WE ARE

SOCIAL

CONTACT

LOCATION

Deed of incorporation and statute

facebook
instagram

info@immaginidambiente.it

via Boscovich 14, Milan

20145

Italy

Fox - Fox - Vulpes vulpes

Order: Carnivores - Family: Canids

Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)

Biogeographical location:
Holarctic.

Distinctive features: head-body length 55-80 cm; shoulder height 35-40 cm; tail 30-45 cm; hind foot 13.5-16 cm; average weight 7-8 kg.

AFront paw print:

length ~5 cm; width ~4-4.5 cm

PHind paw print :

similar

Medium-small size; slender shape; pointed and long muzzle, large and erect ears; long and bushy tail. Relatively short limbs.

The upper parts of the body are a reddish tawny yellowish brown color, the sides have more grayish shades, the upper lip is white, the ears are brown with the outer part dark brown and even black, the ends of the limbs are almost black, the lower parts of the body are light in color, generally whitish, tail tawny with whitish tip. Racial, individual, and seasonal variations are considerable.

Habitat: present in the most extreme and diverse environments: from deserts to prairies, woods, cold regions up to altitudes even above 3,000 m. Sometimes also present in suburban areas and human-modified environments, but it prefers woods, thickets, shrublands with rocky areas, crevices, and rocks that offer greater possibilities for shelter.

Habits: an extremely adaptable and flexible species. Essentially solitary and territorial, in some cases it can lead a complex social life, with the formation of large groups with a well-defined structure, especially in areas where it is not disturbed by humans. Of strictly nocturnal habits, it covers much of its territory in search of food, in fact its main activity is hunting. It runs, trots, gallops, crawls on the ground, jumps and, if necessary, swims. It takes refuge in rocky areas, tree cavities, among roots, but above all digs dens or uses those of other mammals. The den is often composed of a complex of tunnels, with several entrances often marked by the secretion of scent glands located in the abdominal area. It eats anything edible, prefers voles, rabbits, squirrels, hares, small domestic animals, but also birds, frogs, as well as fruit, carrion, cereals, fish, and garbage. Mating takes place in January, after a courtship period of up to 6 weeks; gestation lasts 51-52 days; birth takes place in the den, the pups (4-5) are dark gray and blind until 12-14 days, around 3-4 months they become independent; sexual maturity is reached at about 10 months of age. Lifespan in captivity can reach 15 years, in the wild it is drastically lower, averaging 3-4 years.

Status: numerous.

General distribution: the entire Palearctic region (except Iceland, the Arctic islands, some parts of the Siberian tundra, and areas of extreme desert) and most of North America. In Italy: peninsula, Sicily, and Sardinia.

Existing protection: the repealed Consolidated Law 5/6/1939, no. 1016, included it among the "harmful" species. Today Law 11/02/1992, no. 157 lists it among the huntable species in the indicated periods. Before a specific Ministerial Decree prohibited it (November 1976), the practice of poisoned baits was unfortunately among the most widespread for controlling the species.

FOX SHEET.pdf