No. However, we do provide information foxes and practical guidance on deterring foxes. Foxes very rarely spread any diseases and live largely in harmony with man. They also help to control pests by preying on rats, mice and pigeons. Fox control is unsuccessful because foxes compensate for increases of mortality by increasing the number of vixens that breed. In the UK it is illegal to poison, gas, asphyxiate, maim, stab, impale, drown or club foxes.

A group of foxes is a rare and lovely sight, beautiful to behold. But if you need something shorter for everyday conversation, a group of foxes is called a skulk.

If __________ is anything except 'fox' then the answer is No. Vulpines (foxes) look like dogs, wolves and coyotes, but they are distinctly different and share little or no common ancestry. Dogs, wolves and coyotes can (and do) interbreed. From a veterinary standpoint, foxes are more similar to housecats than to dogs. There are a number of dog breeds that look rather foxy.

We don't have exact specs on this, but tests indicate that foxes see about the same range of colors as dogs, meaning they have dichromatic color vision. Dogs lack the ability to see green, specifically, and apparently can't tell green from red or yellow. (This condition is found in humans, as well, and is the most common sort of "color blindness.

Definitely! It's not at the top of their Things To Do list, but foxes have no problems swimming a reasonable distance if the need is there. Yes and no. Red Fox fossils have been found in North America which date back thousands of years, long before Columbus (or the Vikings, either, if you're one of those people). However, these foxes tended to stay in the fields and forests of the Northwest and Midwest, and so were not common to the east coast where Europeans first settled.

Just about anything! Foxes are omnivores, and while they seem to prefer meat, they also go for nuts, berries, fruit of all sorts, vegetables, and even grains! Red Foxes who have decided to live near humans (for whatever reason) will eat pretty much anything a human will.

Not deliberately, at least. I suppose I can't help but be influenced by my own experiences and observations growing up, but I do try to create the FoxTrot storylines from scratch, rather than base them on what might have happened in my family. I am the oldest of four children (three boys, one girl) and it's true that there was a lot of FoxTrot-like chaos, but I think in general my characters are more extensions of me than my siblings or parents.

The main disease problem in foxes is Mange, this cannot be transmitted to humans or cats. In theory fox mange could be caught by dog, but in practice it doesn't. The UK has been completely rabies free for many years and there are well prepared contingency plans for deal with any possible outbreak.

Not if rubbish is kept in a secure lidded dustbin. With the lid closed, Brent's wheelie bins are completely fox-proof. Do not leave out additional waste in plastic bags. Keep this inside until the morning of you rubbish collection day.

No. Due to man's carelessness there is plenty of food available to foxes - even in the winter they do not go short of food. Leaving food out does however, help pests like rodents and these are far more of a problem for human beings.

Foxes use faeces to mark their territory. This may be prevented by following our advice on deterring foxes.

Foxes dig small holes to get at earthworms which they like to eat. Removing earthworms eliminates the problem. Products to control earthworms can be bought at garden centres. Foxes are naturally found in both urban and rural areas. However, because foxes are territorial, they rarely survive in new 'strange' areas. This also causes problems for foxes already present in that area.

It is very rare to actually see a wolf in the wild, but other species, such as foxes and coyotes, are still common and may be mistaken for wolves at long distances. Some breeds of dog are very "wolf-like" and may also be mistaken for wolves if they are seen running loose. Foxes are much smaller than wolves - adult red foxes weigh only 10-14 pounds and are not much larger than house cats. They have slit pupils, like cats, so they are able to see well in the dark.

Depending on who you talk to, there are five or six varieties of foxes common to North America, and perhaps 23 species around the world. Getting back to Latin for a moment, the 14 foxes of the northern hemisphere are mostly of the genus Vulpes, while the 8 South American foxes are of the genus Pseudalopex (formerly Dusicyon); the African Bat-Eared Fox is species #23, genus Otocyon - but again, it depends on which authority you subscribe to.

Sadly, foxes have very weak eyesight which is mostly geared towards detecting movement. If you see a fox and stand very still, there is a fair chance the fox won't see you.

Foxes make a variety of sounds, from a high-pitched wail to a short, yipping bark, plus chuckles and "churrr"-type sounds. We don't have any recordings to share ourselves, but The Fox Forest does and the owner thereof has allowed us to link to his page. Click here and look for a menu item near the top titled Up Close, then select the drop-down item Voices Carry; There you can hear foxes in full voice. (Note: clicking the link will open a new browser.)

Pup We prefer Kit - but I suspect fox parents have their own names for their young, They've never asked us, so. You can call them Fred for all of us; it's the lexicologists who are responsible for such things in human terms. We suspect the male fox is more interested in what vixens want to call them, in any case.

Some do and some don't. Vixens turn romantic in the early winter, and the male fox will hang around until well after the kits are born. It is usually up to the vixen to raise the little tykes once they are on their feet, but the male fox will often be seen in the vicinity helping out one way or another (building decks, watching TV, going out for chips... that sort of thing).

The problem is the word 'pet.' Most people take it to mean a handy companion, a non-human buddy you can emotionally bond with, an animal you can keep in an apartment and drop off at a friend's house (or at the vet) when you want to go on vacation.

There are bunches of names for foxes in lots of different languages, and FoxWeb Friends have sent in a number of additions - many of them requiring specialized character sets that most Web browsers don't support. Native Americans apparently have as many names for foxes as there are tribes of Native Americans, so we've given up on that for the time being....