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sdk822

look what showed up in my backyard!! (pic)

sdk822
18 years ago

Isn't she pretty? I haven't seen her since these pictures were taken and hope she's safe somewhere. I live in a residential area so this was really a surprise.

Here is a link that might be useful: photo album

Comments (14)

  • roseunhip
    18 years ago

    What a beautiful creature! Thank you for sharing!
    I see red foxes here (Montreal suburbs) quite often. Too many road kills though... People drive damn too fast nowadays.

  • hannah
    18 years ago

    Oh, I love foxes!
    Almost every night, we lay in bed and listen to one here...he seems sad...like he's lonely and calling for a mate.
    (I guess 'horney' would be a better term...LOL...but hey! It IS Spring!)
    Actually...I believe they are the ultimate creatures of habit. This one takes the same exact path each and every night.

  • jillmcm
    18 years ago

    What a beauty! My most regular visitor is looking pretty scraggly right now - nice new coat on the front half, mangy shedding look to the back. We have several that visit, and I know where they used to den. They often make the rounds of my birdfeeders at night, and scruffy was snacking on sunflowers the other morning.

  • serenoa
    18 years ago

    That is a great photo. I was surprised by the sight of a red fox trotting across my yard last weekend. I've seen gray foxes here but this was a first. According to websites, most of Florida's red foxes were released originally for the purpose of hunting. Regardless, it was a nice addition to my list of wildlife seen on this property.

  • htown
    18 years ago

    What a perfect picture!!! Did you use a zoom lense? I have never been able to get a succesful picture of a fox, but I have tried several times. I always thought the the foxes I saw were red foxes, because they were orange. But the other day one came in the yard when my uncle was there and he said it was a red fox. Then I did some reading and it said that grey foxes can be orange, and that the red foxes were alot less common, and there may not be very many true red foxes left? I don't know, but I love reading about interesting stuff like this.

  • jillmcm
    18 years ago

    Red foxes have many color morphs, and gray foxes have reddish coloring on their sides. What you have actually seen can be very confusing! But red foxes are definitely not rare in my part of the world, whereas grays are. It all depends on where you are. Overall, though, I think reds are prospering better than the grays.

  • serenoa
    18 years ago

    Great topic. Both fox species are adaptable and smart enough to survive around people. From my understanding, gray foxes do better in wooded, suburban situations than reds. Reds seem to prefer the open fields that are becoming scarce in many areas. Diseases from dogs that roam freely is a problem. I have seen gray fox and racoon populations plummet in an area because of distemper. For identification, despite the variety of color forms, red foxes always have white tail tips and black stockings. Gray foxes have a dark tail tip.

  • sdk822
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Yes, htown, I used a zoom. In fact, I had just gotten a new digital camera only the day before. I took this picture from inside my patio doors and the fox was only about 30 feet away. She didn't seem scared by people, either. She saw us and only looked away. There were children calling to it from the house behind, and the fox never flinched or even seemed scared. She seems fairly large for a red fox, too. I read where they can be about 15 lbs. and this one seems twice that size. (Basing on the fact that I have a cat about 15 lbs. !) I worry about all the wildlife around us losing their habitats. The last of the farmland here was just purchased for home-building. I live near a river where there used to a lot of farms, woods and wildlife, but is now becoming over-developed. The animals are being driven away by all the construction. The deer have no place to go anymore and are showing up on playgrounds. Do these developers ever take the wildlife into consideration when building these homes, or just see the dollar signs?

  • catherinet
    18 years ago

    What a great picture! I believe she is smiling.

  • plays_in_the_dirt
    18 years ago

    Those were great pics. She OR he is a beautiful animal!!!

  • sdk822
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Yes, it is a SHE. On some of the pictures I was able to see her underbelly. I wondered if maybe she had a litter somewhere. I just hope she is in a safe place.

  • pinkie
    18 years ago

    She is beautiful! And big! I've never seen a fox face to face only on T.V. She looks like someone drew her. Very pretty thanks for sharing!

  • beckyw
    18 years ago

    We had a female fox living in our woods for 3 years. She was crippled but raised babies every year. I could call her in from the woods. She loved attention and would bring her babies out to me and then go hunting. She would walk right up to me and sit but she never would let me touch her. Some of her offspring still live in our woods. I love hearing them call. It is really a strange call.

  • htown
    18 years ago

    Such a beautiful story, it brings tears to my eyes.

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