As Sly As A Red Fox Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yes

The Vulpes are true foxes and a Canine sub-family genus. They are referred to as true foxes as they form a clade, that is they are descended from a common ancestor. Other members of the genus are dogs, jackals, wolves, and coyotes.

The red fox is the largest of the foxes. Some red foxes have different colourings with some having leucistic (loss of pigmentation) and some melanistic (excessive pigmentation) characteristics meaning the range of colours is almost white, to red to mainly black. There are 45 subspecies recognised.

In western Europe, it is the only species seen in this area and is often referred to as a fox rather than a red fox

Answer: South America

The species is thought to be of Eurasian descent with red fox fossils found in Hungary that are 1.8-3.4 million years old, though these fossils indicate the red fox originally had a smaller build. They appear to have migrated to North America during the Illinoian and Wisconsinan glaciation periods. Gene mapping demonstrates that red foxes in North America have been separated from their Old World cousins for around 400,000 years.

The subspecies of red foxes can be divided into two types: the large northern foxes and the smaller southern grey desert foxes of Asia and North Africa. As a species, they are widely and naturally distributed over Europe, most of North America, and Asia (except for the southeast). The red fox is the most widely distributed of all twelve fox species.

The photo depicts the city of La Paz, the capital of the South American country of Bolivia.

Answer: They were introduced into Australia where they became an apex predator

In 1830 red foxes were introduced into Australia, firstly in Tasmania and a few years later on the mainland, from Great Britain to encourage the sport of fox hunting. Ironically they were never able to establish a permanent population in Tasmania as it was firmly believed that the Tasmanian devil outcompeted the foxes. However, it was a different story on the mainland as there were no large mammalian carnivores (the exception being dingoes whose distribution was restricted by Australian settlers). In this environment, red foxes were apex predators and spread rapidly in Victoria, New South Wales and southern Western Australia. This spreading was consistent with the spread of rabbits, (another introduced species) on the continent.

By comparison, in the Old World, the red fox is vulnerable to attack from larger predators, such as other canines like wolves, coyotes, and jackals, and medium to large cat species as well as birds of prey such as eagles and eagle owls.

In the 21st century, there are an estimated 7.2 million red foxes spread over the entire country, including urban areas, except for the far north tropics. They are considered pests and are one of the most damaging invasive species in Australia. Eradication programs exist with the introduction of bounties and baiting. Studies have been performed suggesting that the reintroduction of dingoes into red fox environments and even introducing Tasmanian devils onto the mainland may cull the fox population.

The photo depicts the night's hunt of foxes in Balliang in rural Victoria, Australia, a rich livestock farming area where a fox is considered a pest.

Answer: True

The word "fox" came from Old English, via Proto-Germanic "fuhsaz", which in turn, was derived from Proto-Indo-European "puk"- "thick-haired; tail". In other languages the word for fox is derived from its tail, eg Hindi "puch" meaning "tail"; Welsh "llwynog" meaning 'bushy", Portuguese; "raposa" from "rabo" meaning 'tail', Lithuanian "uodegis" from "uodega" - "tail'.

The bushy tail, often called a brush, is a major differentiator between foxes and other canines. Red foxes, in particular, have luxuriant bushy tales, being half the length of the animal.

Other ways foxes can be distinguished from other canines is by their smaller size - 45-90 cm or 18-36 inches without tail, and weighing 5-10 kg (11-22 lb) - with red foxes being the largest species at the upper end of this range. They also have narrower faces, black, triangular markings between their eyes and nose, and the tip of their tail can be a different colour from their pelt.

Another anatomical difference between foxes and other canines is that despite the fox being a very intelligent creature its braincase is noticeably smaller than that of other canines.

The photo depicts a red fox featuring a prominent tail or brush in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming in the US.

Answer: Hunting

When a fox hunts, it edges toward its prey slowly, listening carefully with cocked ears. Once it pinpoints the prey's location exactly, it leaps into the air to catch its prey unaware with a strike from above. This leap (pictured), known as 'mousing', is commonly seen with red foxes but there is a twist: the fox sometimes cannot see its prey because it is covered with foliage or snow as depicted in the photo. Foxes have adapted to this type of hunting by having much lighter bones (30% lighter) than other canines of the same size. This lightness has made foxes very agile.

Jaroslav Cerveny, a wildlife biologist, has spent many years with his team observing vulpine behaviour in central Europe. He has published that when the fox is facing northeast their leaps are successful 75% of the time. When facing the opposite direction the leaps are successful 60% of the time but when facing any other direction, the success rate drops markedly to 18%. This scientist has proven through exclusion that the only explanation is that foxes align their pounces with the Earth's magnetic field.

Birds can sense magnetic fields but the red fox is the first animal known to use a magnetic sense to hunt, and also the first to use magnetic fields to calculate distance rather than just direction or position.

Answer: wisdom

A skulk refers to foxes when they are acting stealthily. A leash is used to describe a small group (usually three) of foxes, indicating they need to be kept close like dogs on leashes. Earth is a collective noun used when foxes are in their underground den or burrow. "Troop" and "lead" have also been observed in the scientific literature as describing a group of foxes. Wisdom as a collective noun describes a group of wombats.

Male foxes are called tods, dogs, or reynards, the latter after the French word for fox and a French literary character, whilst female foxes are called only vixens. Young foxes are known as pups, cubs or kits.

Answer: Foxes favour cities as food is plentiful and easy to obtain

Red foxes have been very successful in colonising urban areas, usually, but not always, low-density areas on the city's outskirts. Urban foxes were first documented in the 1930s in Bristol with foxes seen in Norwich, Cambridge, and London in the 1940s. They have been reported in Melbourne Zurich and Dublin. Perhaps because they have no natural predators they have learned not to fear man. Whilst foxes are very efficient hunters, they are omnivores, they will eat anything. In the city, they have access to much discarded human food with very little foraging necessary (See photo).

They are rarely seen during the day, being active at dawn and dusk, sometimes making temporary homes in hidden parts of the city. They usually keep a den outside the city for sleeping at night. They have even allowed themselves to approach humans directly if food is offered. Efforts to tame foxes have been largely unsuccessful.

Answer: Rabies

Humans can catch diseases carried by red foxes, usually by contact with a dog which then has contact with a human. Red foxes are the most important rabies vector in Europe and can sometimes carry the virus without exhibiting symptoms. However, the rabies virus can not be transmitted unless the animal is showing symptoms of the disease. If a human contracts rabies and exhibits symptoms, it is nearly always fatal. Vaccines to prevent symptoms are available.

Mange (pictured) is a frequent cause of disease in red foxes but this disease is rarely transmitted to humans from foxes. The mite called Sarcoptes scabiei burrows under the skin causing itchiness, first. Then hair loss develops, starting with the tail and the rump and then the rest of the body. It is nearly always fatal within four months for the fox.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that affects mammalian species. Foxes rarely infect humans as there must be contact with the fox's urine.

Foxes are susceptible to gastrointestinal and occasionally systemic infections with parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms. These are rarely transmitted from foxes to humans.

Answer: Japan

Of approximately 32000 Shinto shrines listed in Japan in 2005, over half were dedicated to the kami Inari. As well as being the patron of swordsmiths and merchants, Inari is associated with agriculture, protecting rice fields and giving the farmers a bountiful crop each year. Because rice is sacred in Japanese culture, it is associated with fertility, and sustaining life through abundant harvests, and by extension, prosperity. On earth, the kitsune is seen as Inari's messenger, hence the proliferation of kitsune statues (pictured) at Shinto shrines, usually guarding the entrance to the shrine. They are often depicted with a red bib or apron. The red is to indicate fertility and prosperity. The bibs also have a role in preventing earthly diseases from being passed onto the kitsune thereby preventing Inari from becoming sick from mortal sickness.

Red foxes also have a role in the mythology of Ancient Greek, Native American, Welsh, Celtic and Chinese cultures, among others.

Answer: False

Fox hunting as a sport can trace itself back to the fourth century BC when Alexander the Great hunted foxes as did the Persians from 350 BC. Fox hunting with hounds with men following on horseback became a sport for the nobility in the 16th century soon after the last English wolf died in the late 15th century, leaving the fox with no known predator in England. The fox was killed when caught. Scotland banned the sport in 2002 and Wales and England followed in 2005 though foxes can still be culled when they are considered to be a pest. They are killed because they are a pest as they kill livestock, particularly lambs and chickens. The dislike of the red fox, besides there being no natural predator across the land, is because the fox will kill in surplus, killing many livestock in a single night but only eating one - In the wild the fox will stash excess food in a cache for times when food supply is low.

Fur farming (pictured) is the raising of animals for their pelts when they reach adult size. Demand for furs as fashion has been declining significantly in Europe but this has been offset by a rise in demand in Asia and Russia for fur products. While fur farming has been banned in the UK since 2000 as have most other, but not all EU countries. The main species being farmed were red fox and mink with 70% of red fox fur products coming out of the EU. China is the other significant fur producer.

Historically the fur trade played an important economic role in both the US and Canada. Fur trappers roamed and opened up large parts of North America. In the 21st century over 85% of fur products (in a shrinking fur market ) came from animals raised on US and Canadian farms.