this book is dedicated to fox lovers

Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. Foxes have a flattened skull, upright triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail. Twelve species belong to the monophyletic "true foxes" group of genus Vulpes.

Recently, fox sightings have been on the rise in the Carolinas, which means you may have spotted a few of these bushy-tailed animals trotting around your yard. 

If that’s the case, you may be interested to learn these nine fox facts. Foxes are fascinating creatures but can be a danger to you and your home, so it’s important to understand what you’re dealing with. In this blog, you’ll learn the fox facts you may not know as well as ways to protect your home against fox invaders.

 Yep, foxes stink. They have a sickly, musty scent that comes from the glands at the base of their tails. If you start smelling this around your home or in your crawl space, it may be an indicator that foxes are near.

What does the fox say? As it turns out, foxes can produce a variety of sounds — up to 40 to be exact. The most noticeable is their scream-like howl, which is sure to send a shiver up your spine.

Gekkering, a series of guttural chattering, is also the most common noises made by foxes, especially in a dispute. Foxes, specifically red foxes, are highly territorial. In the event another fox intrudes into its territory, foxes are likely to chatter loudly back and forth in defense of their home. 

Unlike their coyote and canine relatives, foxes are solitary creatures. They prefer to hunt and sleep alone, except when they’re busy raising their young in their den.  It’s reported that red foxes can hear a watch ticking from 40 yards away! Their impeccable hearing helps them to identify prey underground. What’s even more interesting is that foxes use the Earth’s magnetic field to locate their prey. That, in combination with their sensitive hearing, makes them pretty fierce predators. Watch a red fox catch a mouse in the snow

Foxes love to play. They’re even known to steal golf balls from golf courses to play with! Foxes play alone, with other foxes and other animals — even deer! If anything, it makes for some adorable backyard entertainment.

While there are a variety of fox species all over the world, only two call the Carolinas home: the red fox and the grey fox. Red foxes can be red, grey, black or even white. However, they’re most commonly red. Some key identifiers of a red fox are its black legs, black-tipped ears, white-tipped tail, and dog-like face. They can grow up to 20 inches in height and weigh up to 35 pounds as an adult. Grey foxes can also be different colors, such as red, grey or brown. The grey fox has a black-tipped tail and a dark stripe down its back. It also has a more cat-like face than the red fox. Grey foxes are much smaller than red foxes, too. As an adult, they are typically two feet in length and weigh less than nine pounds.