Pennsylvania, and of course the Times News region, has no shortage of predators. They range in size from the black bear to a variety of shrew species. Most of the predators are mammals, a number of them are snakes (reptiles,) and of course some avian predators too. However, in my opinion, the red fox is the prettiest of them all.

I’m lucky enough to cross paths with a number of “reds” each year, mostly in the fall and winter seasons. Their red/orangish fur is denser and more dramatic in those months anyway. The fox’s summer coat doesn’t even get close to the pelage of winter.

A red fox’s size may surprise you. The heavy winter wear makes them appear much larger than their average 10 pounds. In comparison, their larger and competitor for food, the eastern coyote weighs in at an average of 45-50 pounds. The “reds” long, dense tail gives it an illusion of being much larger. That “bushy” tail does have its benefits.

Those folks who have a pet dog have observed when “Lassie” lays down she often walks a small circle before settling down on her favorite carpet. Well, two Decembers ago, while sitting in our local woodlands on a cold, but sunny morning, I watched a red fox ambling along the forest rather close to me.

To my surprise, he/she stopped under a white pine tree where a big spot of sunshine was hitting the fallen needles. The fox did the familiar dog circle and laid down in that sunny spot and curled her/his beautiful tail around the body, nose, and feet. I didn’t want to miss this photo opportunity but my slightest movement reaching for the camera was detected, and the fox loped off with that graceful fox gait. Oh well. Worse, I felt terrible that I chased it from that nice, sunny spot.

Considered a carnivore, the red fox, like many carnivores (like bears) will eat some plant material. Grapes, raspberries and apples will supplement their diets. I watched one eating a fallen apple and their scat does reveal seeds. They are great “mousers” and meadow voles are their favorite prey. However, rabbits, chipmunks, some birds, and unfortunately the ever increasing popularity of people raising free range chickens has them not making friends with the new urban farmers.

They’ll begin pairing up shortly and breed in about the next 4 or 5 weeks. The vixen finds and enlarges a woodchuck den, a culvert pipe under a lightly traveled road, or maybe under your storage building. About 4 to 6 young are born and remain in the den for 2 or 3 months. Near the end of that time you might see the youngsters begin venturing out to await the arrival of food or to tussle with their den mates. Although considered cunning and elusive, foxes will usually live only about 3 years, often dying from parasites or diseases. The primary den opening could be littered with bits of bone, fur, and feathers.

I located a den a few years ago by a large number of white feathers near it. I knew of a farmer not too far away who had a number of ducks and I’m sure I know from where those feathers came.

In your travels this winter, look for foxes even in daylight because heavy snow cover forces them to feed longer each day to find enough food.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: A young fox is called a: A. kit B. pup C. cub D. all of these E. none of these

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: A swamp and marsh are not the same. A swamp is a flooded wooded area while a marsh is generally a wet or flooded area of herbaceous (grassy) plants.

Email Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com