Outdoors Journal: Red foxes monogamous for one season

Red foxes are relatively solitary animals but by late January we sometimes see two sets of fox prints, side-by-side. They probably are monogamous for one season at a time, but might mate for life. They breed in January or February, and the females usually bear four to six young after a 51-day gestation. The family occupies a burrow, which the foxes dig themselves or remodel from the den of another mammal.

Being primarily carnivorous, their diet includes squirrels, rabbits, muskrats, mice, voles and birds of many species. Foxes often will hide larger kills and visit them over a period of several days. Like other wild dogs, red foxes hunt primarily at night, but they might extend this activity into daytime during the winter, when prey is harder to catch. Also, they like to sleep in the open during the midday, curling up on the snow in some spot protected from wind, sunning themselves when they can while keeping a watchful eye or ear out for intruders. They seldom sleep deeply.

Typical length of a red fox is about 41 inches, including a 16-inch bushy tail. They weigh up to 14 pounds and have a pointed nose and fairly large pointed ears.