Size:

The red fox is the smallest canine species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Weighing between 10 to 12 pounds and standing just over a foot tall, this diminutive canine is a fascinating animal to observe. While red foxes in the area display a variety of colorations, their diagnostic characteristic is the white tip on their bushy tail. This feature sets them apart from other fox species like kit foxes, swift foxes, and grey foxes, all of which have dark tail tips. The red fox's agility and distinctive markings make it a unique and enjoyable presence in the diverse wildlife of the GYE.

Diet:

Much like their larger cousins, the coyotes and foxes are omnivorous but subsist mainly on a diet of small rodents. Foxes find their food visually and with their superior auditory acuity. When watching foxes hunt, they often turn their head side to side as a curious dog might do when you squeak a toy. They do this in an attempt to triangulate the sound and thus get a more precise location of their quarry. If confident, foxes may leap in the air and come down paws first, trapping their dinner.

Mating:

Foxes breed in the middle of winter, often times January. Their gestation is just 50 days. In these 50 days, the mated pair stays together and selects a den site in which the female will welp. The average litter is 3-5 kits, though up to 11 have been reported. Mom nurses and keeps the kits warm in the den while dad rations the family with plenty of rodents. It is a real treat to see dad carrying back a half dozen gophers at once. By the middle of June, the fox kits are often exploring away from the den, and both parents must hunt to keep the growing babies fed.

Population:

The exact number of red foxes in the Greater Yellowstone is not known, but they are thought to have increased their numbers slightly post wolf restoration due to decreased competition from coyotes. They are listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN. There is a misconception that red foxes are not native to the US, but the truth is, as usual, more complex. Red foxes are native to the western United States but were historically absent from the East. Starting in the 1800s, foxes emigrated from the West into the eastern states. This coincides with the release of the European red fox, and the eastern population is likely a genetic mix.