Insight into the Life of the Most Cunning Animal – 7 Pictures + 1 Video

Searching for interesting information about foxes, well-known for being the most cunning animals of all, we found many of them, but here we present to you the ones we considered best. Fox (Vulpini) is a name for numerous animals from the family of dogs, who are – along with humans – the most wide spread terrestrial mammals in the world. In spite of that, most of those humans know very little about foxes, which may be the reason why we chased and hunted them throughout history – whether it was for their fur or something else. If we get to know them a bit better, we may be convinced that these cute creatures are different than we've learned about them. They are very caring parents, playful and frequently very friendly animals.

1. Foxes as caring parents

Foxes reproduce once a year, and a female gives birth to 1 – 11 pups (the average is 6), who are born blind and don't open their eyes until the 9th day after birth. During those days, they stay in the den with their mom, while the male is bringing food. The pups live with their parents until they are 7 months old. Foxes protect their offspring with a surprising loyalty, which can be confirmed by an example that took place in England. A pup was caught in trap and was trapped for 2 weeks, but it survived because its mother was bringing food every day.

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2. Fox's tail

As well as cats, foxes use their fluffy tails to keep the balance while moving around. However, that's not tail's only function. Foxes use their tails to cover and get warm during the winter when it's cold, or to give signals in communication with other foxes. An interesting piece of information relating to foxes is that they communicate by urinating near trees and rocks, to let others know they were there – which is one characteristic more that brings them closer to dogs.

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3. Foxes are very playful 

Foxes like to play! They like playing with each other and with other animals. One of their favorite toys is ball, but since in the wild it's hard to find a ball, it's easier to steal one from a golf course. Recently, a fox in Switzerland became so obsessed with stealing balls, that the players didn't scare her at all. In another case, in France, a fox was stealing bowling balls, and she liked them so much that she ignored a hen house nearby.

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4. Foxes like to hang around with other animals

Foxes are naturally curious animals. As such, they occasionally get close to other animals, even to ones that in certain circumstances could be their enemies. There are many known cases of foxes becoming friends with dogs or cats, and in most of those examples the fox was the one who approached the other animal. Recent research showed that one of the first 'species' who foxes became friends with were humans. A 16 500 years old cemetery was found in north Jordan, where the remains of a grown up man and his follower fox were found. Taking into consideration that this tomb is 4000 years older than the first one where dog was found with a man, we can conclude that foxes were our best friends long before grey wolves – today's dogs.

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5. Even though they're classified as dogs, foxes have a lot in common with cats

In spite of being classified as a species of dogs, foxes have more in common with cats than with dogs. Their pupils are like cats', which allows them to have fantastic night vision. Many foxes are great climbers and some even sleep on the trees. Foxes hunt in the same way as cats do – they stalk their prey and then suddenly jump on it. Their movement is elegant and they have extremely sensitive whiskers that help them keep the balance – all characteristics same as cats'.

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6. Foxes use Earth's magnetic field

Just like guided missiles, foxes use Earth's magnetic field. Other animals, such as birds, sea lions and turtles also use Earth's magnetic field for navigation, but fox is the first animal we know to use it for hunting its prey. According to New Scientist, a fox can see Earth's magnetic field as a “darkened circle” in its eyes – the circle goes darker when the fox is facing north. When the shadow and the sound of the prey align, the fox knows the exact direction and speed it needs in order to catch the prey.

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7. Arctic foxes start shaking from cold at -70 degrees Celsius

Arctic fox, that lives in the northernmost part of the hemisphere, can sustain coldness better than many other animals in the world. They get cold only when the temperature is -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit). Their white fur keeps them warm in the coldest of the days, but it also serves them like a camouflage, no matter if they're hunting or hiding from predators. When snow starts to melt, their fur becomes grayish, in order to better “fit into” with the rocks surrounding them.

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