Sexual maturity is reached by 10 months for both male and female young. The family group remains together until the autumn after the birth when the young will disperse. The pups will leave the den by 4 or 5 weeks after birth and are weaned by 8 to 10 weeks. Red fox pups are born blind but open their eyes by about 14 days after birth. Litters size may vary from one to as many as fourteen pups, with an average of about five. The male remains nearby and assists the female in raising the young. The male provides food for the female but does enter the den. Prior to and for a time after giving birth the female remains in or at the den. Females may mate with more than one male but will establish a partnership with only one. The exact breeding period for red foxes varies across the geographic range of the species: January-February in the central regions (including New Jersey), December-January in the south, and February-April in the north. Male foxes, (both red and gray) are called “dogs” and females are known as “vixens”. The silver fox is black or very nearly so with a white tip on the tail and silver frosting on the tips of some or nearly all of the guard hairs. The cross fox has reddish brown fur and a cross pattern which is a black stripe down its back and another across its shoulders. Two other color variations occur with the range of the red fox, but rarely south of Canada. The lower legs are usually black and the tail has a white tip. The pelt color of red foxes ranges from a pale yellowish red to deep reddish brown on the head, sides and back, and white, ashy or slate gray on the underside. The tail is typically up to 70% of head and body length. The pointed ears, slender muzzle, and slanted eyes, bushy and unusually long tail, coupled with its small dog size and typical orange-red coloration, make the red fox instantly recognizable to most observers. In New Jersey, the red fox is classified as both a game and furbearer species (i.e., it has both an open hunting and trapping season). Today, red fox is found throughout North America and Eurasia, portions of North Africa and Australia where they were introduced during the nineteenth century. Records suggested that red fox were introduced from Great Britain to the colonies in the late 1600s. The reason for these introductions was augmentation of fox populations for hunting settlers were unhappy with the sport given by the native gray fox, which treed rather than ran or ran in a much smaller area than would the red fox. A few accounts have assumed that there was no native race of red foxes, whereas others maintain that introductions were limited in scope although introductions were undoubtedly made at several sites. Conflicting records and a presumed difference between the native red fox and the introduced European red fox caused confusion concerning early accounts regarding the distribution and introduction of the red fox in North America. If red foxes were native to New Jersey during early colonial times, the animals were not abundant. Historically, Red Foxes were divided into two species, Vulpes vulpes in the Old World and Vulpes fulva in the New World, but today they are considered to be one species, Vulpes vulpes. Fox are well known for their threat to small domestic animals, and are well-deserving of their reputation for intelligence. Generally speaking, neither species pose a threat to people, but like all wildlife species should never be approached or fed. For both species, male foxes are called “dogs” and females are known as “vixens”. Records suggested that red fox were introduced from Europe to the southeastern colonies and to the New England colonies in the late 1700s.īelow is information on both species of fox. A few accounts have assumed that there was no native race of red foxes, whereas others maintain that introductions were limited in scope, although introductions were undoubtedly made at several sites. Both are classified as game species and are valuable furbearers and have both hunting and trapping seasons. Today, both species are present throughout the state. While the gray fox is known to be native to the state, there is some dispute regarding the red fox. There are two species of foxes found in New Jersey: the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus).
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