Foxes are members of the Canidae family. They are omnivorous animals. Being canines they look very much familiar to wolves and coyotes. Foxes are solitary animals, they prefer to hunt and sleep alone except only when raising their young. They hunt small mammals, lizards, mice, rats, and rabbits. They also eat eggs, fruits, and birds. But what eats foxes, this is the question that requires an answer. So, today we’re going to dig deep and find the answer to this question.
Background of Foxes
Before finding the answer to what eats foxes, we should know what are foxes and what they look like.
Foxes have triangular faces and narrow snouts. Their ears are stuck straight up off the head and are very pointed. They have short legs but can run pretty fast at the speed of 50 km/h. Their tails are bushy and long. Foxes have partially retractable claws and they walk on their toes.
Some of their famous species are red fox, swift fox, kit fox, and arctic fox. They can live in any habitat such as forests, wild, mountains, and even deserts. The foxes in the wild dig a burrow in the ground that provides them a safe place to live, sleep, and keep their pups.
What Eats Foxes in the Wild?
The foxes have many predators in the wild. Foxes are medium-sized animals which makes them easily eatable by the animals that are bigger compared to them. But some of the birds like owls also feed on them.
Here’s the list of what animals eat foxes:
- Mountains Lions
- Coyotes
- Wolves
- Lynx
- Leopards
- Bobcats
- Wolverines
- Eagles
- Owls
- Bears
- Boas
- Pythons
- Humans
Now that we know what eats foxes, let’s learn their techniques and how they attack foxes one by one.
Mountain Lions
Mountain lions are only found in America, they are spread out from California to South America. They ambush and almost eat every prey that exists in the wild including the foxes. Their long legs and speed make it easy for them to chase and catch up with almost every prey. When a mountain lion hunts a fox, it leaps onto a fox from a hiding position and then suddenly delivers a death blow on the fox’s neck when the right opportunity arrives.
Leopards
If leopards don’t find other prey at the time, they turn to foxes because they can kill them pretty easily. Red foxes make a great meal for leopards as they are larger than other foxes. Leopards hunt the foxes by slowly and stealthily moving toward them, they tend to lower their head and their legs, and when the right time arrives they pounce on to it. Shred their flesh with their longer and pointed teeth and eat them.
Bears
Bears are mostly found in North America. They live in the mountains and Northern Hemisphere in cold temperatures. Bears can’t run that much faster to catch up with the foxes as foxes run faster due to their size. So, the Bears prefer to challenge and compete with other high predators for a fox meal.
Wolves and Coyotes
Wolves are one of the most aggressive hunters of the prey in the wild. When they are starving they simply chase down a fox and shred their flesh and eat them.
The coyotes’ case is different. Coyotes are the biggest enemy of the foxes although they belong to the same family (Canidae family). Coyotes fight with foxes in close range. They kill the foxes and preserve their food in some place safe for later. The red foxes are always on the target for Coyotes.
Boas and Pythons
As far as reptiles are concerned, only boas and pythons can eat the foxes due to the large body size they have. Other snakes can’t eat foxes because they don’t have that much body size. In fact, Foxes are the predators of snakes.
Eagles
Eagles have a variety of hunting skills like ambush and aerial pursuit. They just sit on the branches of trees and wait for the right opportunity to come. They grab their target with their talons. They shred their target using their pointed and sharp nails on their talons. The foxes can hide from them in their den or in the bushes but can’t outrun the eagles as they are much faster than the foxes and they can catch up with the foxes pretty easily. So, foxes don’t have any option besides hiding.
Humans
Humans have been proven to be the greatest threat to foxes. Because of agricultural activities, humans destroy the natural habitat of foxes, completely exposing them to other wild animals. Sometimes humans themselves kill the foxes for meat, and fur for trading purposes to use them in the products.
Other Animals that Eat Foxes
Carnivorous birds like eagles hunt the foxes. Owls are also on the list of predators of foxes. Other animals include bobcats, lynx, wolverine, and badgers who eat foxes in the wild.
Some of the foxes also eat other foxes when there is food. Some studies have found that sometimes a fox steals the other bay fox and eats them.
How Do Foxes Defend Themselves From the Predators?
Defending themselves from other predators that are bigger than them is always a difficult task for the foxes. Some creatures defend themselves by camouflaging in the environment. Foxes tend to fight back and run away from their predators.
The arctic foxes have sharp and pointed teeth and claws. They use their teeth to fight back and defend themselves from predators. Red foxes have dens in grasslands in which they hide themselves from their predators. Grey foxes living in the mountains usually rub themselves in the scent marks that are left by mountain lions. Sometimes they use the scent of big cats such as pumas to camouflage against predators like Coyotes.
These are the fight-back strategies, but most of the foxes simply just run away from the predators.
Are Foxes Beneficial to Humans?
Red foxes can be beneficial to humans. They hunt small mammals like mice, rats, and other big insects, they usually hunt them but don’t kill them instead they take them to their caves for future meals. They also eat discarded food so, in this way, they are also proven to be beneficial to humans.
When Foxes Attack Humans?
Foxes are generally wary of humans and they don’t attack humans unless they feel threatened by them. They only attack humans when they are injured or trapped by humans. They can bite you if you cornered it. If they are rabid then their bite can infect you with serious threatening diseases. If you don’t bother them they won’t bother you. Foxes are not a threat to us unless we make them. There is no real need to bother the foxes if you ever happen to encounter it. Just back off slowly and don’t make them feel threatened by you, otherwise, they can attack you. Most of the time foxes tend to run away when they see a human nearby.
FAQs
What is the Major Threat to a Fox?
Humans are the major threat to a fox. Humans kill foxes for meat and fur. They also destroy their habitat and leave them exposed to other wild animals.
How Foxes Fight Back with the Predators?
The foxes use their pointed and sharp teeth and claws to fight back and defend themselves against the predators. Most of the foxes just run away from their predators.
What are Preys of the Foxes?
Foxes’ prey includes small mammals like mice, rats, rabbits, rodents, and big animals. Chicken is the favorite meal of the foxes.
Why Bears Don’t Hunt Foxes by Themselves?
Bears can’t run fast enough to catch up with a fox. So, they simply compete with other animals that hunt the foxes and snatch the meal from them.
What is the Biggest Enemy of the Fox?
Coyotes are the biggest animals that the foxes have in the wild. Coyotes mostly hunt the red foxes as they provide them with excellent meals.
Can the Foxes Outrun their Predators?
Foxes can outrun bears and humans. Other predators like eagles, mountain lions, wolves, and leopards are much faster than a fox. So, a fox can’t outrun them.
Can a Fox Hide from their Predators?
Most of the predators don’t give them time to hide as they move so quickly and kill them instantly. But sometimes the foxes hide in their den or in the bushes to avoid the sight of their predators like eagles.
What are the Natural Habitats of the Foxes?
The foxes can live in almost any situation like forests, wild, mountains, urban areas, and deserts. Most of the foxes in the world are found in the wild.
Can a Snake Eat a Fox?
Snakes like boas and pythons are capable of eating the foxes because of their body size. But a normal snake can’t eat foxes.
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