Red Fox in winter by JoAnne Russo.
Congratulations to JoAnne Russo for winning the February 2017 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. Her image of a Red Fox starring the camera down on a winter day was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’.
Red Fox observations reported to iNaturalist Vermont. You can add your sightings to the map too.
Red Fox mate in January through March. During the breeding season Red Fox urine takes on a strong odor often mistaken for skunk musk. A mated fox pair will stick together closely during the breeding season and both parents care for the babies. The litter, produced in March or April, usually consists of 4 or 5 pups. Red Foxes prepare several dens for their pups, usually by enlarging another creature’s abandoned burrow. The space underneath a porch or deck might also be seen as appealing den space. If disturbed at one site, the foxes will move their young to one of the alternative dens. A den might be reused for several years for raising their young each season. Red Fox often become more vocal in February as mating season begins. Listen for their vocalizations.
Visit iNaturalist Vermont, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life, and you can vote for the winner this month by clicking ‘fav’ on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you and submit your discoveries and you could be a winner!
