Red fox

When: Year round, but usually after nightfall

Scientific name: Vulpes vulpes

Gaelic name: sionnach

Scots: Tod

Size: Length around 1.5m, including tail

Where: Roaming around urban streets, gardens and parks

Cunning, wily and devious; foxes do not have the best reputation of all Scottish wildlife, however these large, dog like mammals are an important addition to many local ecosystems. Although they are common in both urban and rural environments, it is still a thrilling sight to see a fox scurry along a pavement on a gloomy evening, only to vanish moments later with a brisk swish of its bushy tail...

Often misunderstood creatures, foxes are members of the Canidae family, relating them to both wild and domestic dogs. It is hard to confuse them with any other species, as their gingery fur and white tipped bushy tail make them an easily identifiable sighting. Famed for their predatory prowess, particularly when it comes to livestock, foxes are actually omnivores, and will eat most food types depending on what is available in the area. They live in dens, often moving into abandoned badger setts or renovating old rabbit burrows to accommodate a family with cubs.

In the winter months, you may hear the shrill wail of a vixen calling for a mate - a most bizarre and other worldly sound as many who have heard it will surely agree. This courting period takes place between December and January, with cubs being born in the early spring. Litters will have around 4-5 cubs each, although it is unlikely that all of these young foxes will survive. A male dog will need to provide food for vixen and cubs, and it is no coincidence that foxes have evolved to have their litters around the same time as little spring lambs are being born - they make a nutritious meal for the young fox cubs who must quickly build their strength if they are to survive.

As foxes are so iconic and a common feature of the landscape, so it follows that they have been depicted in various roles in culture, myth and folklore around the world. There is a Scots proverb: "When the tod preaches, beware the hens" - perhaps used as a warning of a suspect character, or imminent deception. There are a whole host of Scottish fairy tales and folklore centred on the fox, much akin to the style of Aesop's fables. More modern depictions include Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mr Tod. While many of these stories adopt the sly stereotype, there are other beliefs around the world that project a more romantic view of the fox. In Norway for example, the aurora borealis were traditionally known as 'fox fires', as people used to believe that the light was produced from foxes running through the sky, painting it with their bushy tails as they went. 

The subject of much controversy and political anguish, fox numbers have historically been controlled by gamekeepers, landowners and by hunting for sport. Although foxes are now protected and hunting is illegal, they are still victims of road accidents and some suspect activity.

There are many sources of information available if you wish to learn more about the fox. To get you started, try https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-mammals/a-z-mammals/red-fox

Image: Ben Andrew, RSPB Images