Foxes are canine animals belonging to the same family as wolves, but they are smaller in size. They are usually around three feet long and two feet tall. The smallest species of fox is the fennec fox, which only weighs around two pounds.
In fact, this species is so small that it can fit in the palm of your hand. Foxes typically live between 10 and 15 years in the wild, but some have been known to live up to 20 years. In the following, we’ll be diving into the question, what do foxes eat?
What Do Foxes Like to Eat?
Foxes are omnivores, so they can eat a wide range of different foods. They tend to prefer meat, but they will typically eat whatever is available. Foxes like to hunt small rodents such as mice and rabbits, so they are often found in farmland and fields where these animals live. They also eat birds and insects.
Like many other carnivores, foxes can be found near streams and lakes because fish is an important part of their diet.
Birds
Foxes do eat birds. In fact, it’s pretty much the only way to get food in a healthy fox population. Foxes are obligate carnivores. They have to eat meat to survive. Foxes are opportunistic, which means they will eat whatever they can find. This includes dead animals and garbage.
But if they can catch it like wild turkeys or geese, they also eat them. Foxes hunt mostly at night and sometimes during the day when there’s less human activity around. They move slowly and quietly along forest edges and in fields trying to catch mice, rabbits, and other small mammals that live there.
They use their sense of smell to find their prey and chase it down until it gets tired or falls into a hole where the fox can reach it with its mouth. Their teeth are sharp enough to kill most prey instantly, but they still need to bite through skin and bones before they can eat anything else except plants or insects (which don’t require any chewing).
Expert Tip: Foxes have been known to kill baby birds while they’re still in their nest or after they’ve flown away from home for the first time but haven’t yet learned how to fly well enough that they can escape danger.
Plants
Foxes eat plants as a source of food. Foxes are thought to have several different reasons for eating plants that have nothing to do with the nutritional value of plants. Foxes are known to dig up and eat the buried seeds of some plants, such as sunflowers and legumes.
This behavior is thought to be an adaptation by which foxes obtain minerals such as phosphorous and calcium deficient from meat.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Reptiles and amphibians are not included in the diet of foxes very often. Foxes have been known to eat frogs, toads, and salamanders. Foxes will also occasionally eat snakes, lizards, and turtles. Foxes tend to be opportunistic creatures. This means that they will take whatever they can find in their environment that they can get their paws on.
Small mammals
Hunting small mammals. Foxes will sneak up on mice, voles, and other small mammals that live in fields or woods. The fox uses its speed and sharp claws to catch its prey by surprise.
Hunting rabbits and hares. Rabbits and hares are fast animals that live in open fields. Foxes will chase these animals until they become too tired to run any longer.
Fish
Foxes are not fish specialists, but they’ll certainly eat them when the opportunity arises.
Foxes may hunt fish in any season, but the vast majority of available fish are present during the winter months when they can be caught under the ice.
Depending on the species, foxes will either dive down and grab their prey or wait along the shoreline and pounce on any fish that swims by.
How Do Foxes Hunt and Forage For Food?
When most people think of foxes, their first thoughts probably aren’t about the animal’s hunting skills. But foxes are actually excellent hunters. In fact, they’re often so good at catching their prey that they’re considered pests in some areas. Foxes don’t tend to be picky eaters.
While they do have preferences for particular types of prey, foxes will eat whatever is easiest to catch and most abundant. When given the choice though, foxes prefer small animals such as birds and rodents.
Foxes hunt and forage for food in a variety of ways. During the day, they can often be found lying in wait on the high ground watching for prey. Once they spot an animal, they will chase it down, corner it up against a building or fence and kill it with a bite to the back of the neck.
Foxes have a good sense of hearing and vision, which helps them hunt prey. They are mostly nocturnal species, meaning they are more active at night They can be seen during the day, but they prefer hunting at night.
Expert Tip: Foxes are also adept at digging into burrows where they can catch rabbits, rats, and other underground dwellers.
But this isn’t always necessary since foxes are swift runners and can easily catch smaller prey such as birds perched on low-lying branches or on the ground. While it is true that some foxes may feed on carrion (dead animals), this is not their primary food source because there isn’t enough fat content in most carcasses to sustain them over time.
When available, foxes prefer fresh meat from live prey but will make do with what’s available if nothing else is around. Foxes may also scavenge through garbage cans. Foxes are generally quite solitary animals. However, they can come together to catch larger prey or scavenge on a carcass.
Whether hunting alone or in groups, foxes are very opportunistic animals and will eat various foods.
What Do Foxes Eat in the Wild?
The fox is a wild animal that can adapt to different environmental conditions, it can live in forests, deserts, mountains, grasslands, and even urban areas. Due to this adaptability, the question arises what do foxes eat? They are omnivores and feed on many different types of foods.
To understand what they eat. we need to know about their habitat and food availability.
Fox Diet in Different Habitats
The diet of foxes varies with their habitat and the seasonal availability of food items. However, a typical fox diet contains about 1-2 pounds of food per day (although it can eat up to four pounds if necessary). The following are some basic food habits of foxes living in different habitats.
In desserts, they mainly feed on small rodents like mice and rats, insects like lizards, and large insects like locusts and grasshoppers. They prey on small mammals like rabbits, hares, and pikas in grasslands. They also feed on large insects like beetles.
Foxes living in the mountains feed on small mammals like marmots. Foxes living in forests primarily feed on animals like squirrels and birds. Apart from that, they also eat fruits and berries during the summer.
Foxes usually live around three years in the wild, but some have been known to live up to ten years. When food is scarce, foxes can survive on very little food for long periods. However, they have high energy needs and need to eat as much as possible when food is abundant.
What Do Pet Foxes Eat?
A fox is a member of the dog family, which means that its diet is similar to a dog’s. If you have a pet fox, you need to feed it a variety of foods in order to meet all of its nutritional needs. You can raise your fox on kibble, but it’s better to provide it with a raw diet and supplement it with fruits, vegetables, and other treats. So what do foxes eat?
Kibble
Most pet food companies make kibble designed for wild animals such as foxes. The advantage of feeding your fox kibble is that it’s easy and convenient. However, kibble isn’t as good for a fox as meat because it’s processed and doesn’t provide complete nutrition.
Raw Meat
You can feed your fox raw meat from the grocery store or butcher shop. Foxes eat primarily small rodents and rabbits in the wild, so they need protein from meat in their diet. Other acceptable meats include beef, chicken, turkey, pork, and lamb.
Expert Tip: You also can give your pet a variety of raw organs such as liver, heart, or kidneys since these are rich sources of nutrients not found in muscle meat. Don’t give your fox any cooked bones because they can splinter when chewed only feed raw bones to your pet.
Fruits and Vegetables
The foxes eat Fruits and Vegetables as a source of food. They are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Foxes enjoy eating berries, fruits, insects, and small animals. The most common types of berries that foxes eat are blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
In the winter months when berries aren’t available they will also eat fruits like apples. Foxes have been known to eat carrots and other root vegetables from gardens. They are also known to eat grass which helps them digest their food better.
What are the Responsibilities of Having a Pet Fox?
A pet fox will require a secure enclosure. Foxes are escape artists, so the enclosure must be sturdy and have a top to prevent them from escaping. The enclosure should have a solid floor because foxes do not like wire floors. Natural grass is nice for the fox to lay down on. but it will not last long with digging and urinating.
Artificial turf works well in outdoor enclosures, as does hardwood chips or rubber mulch.
A pet fox requires a healthy diet. A balanced diet includes high-quality dog food, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.
Feeding your pet a raw meat diet is controversial, many believe it is the healthiest way to feed a domesticated fox. while others think that it can lead to nutritional deficiencies and introduce bacteria into the pet’s enclosure. It is up to you whether you choose to feed your pet a raw meat diet or not.
A pet fox requires regular veterinary care. Foxes should be seen by a veterinarian at least once per year for checkups and booster shots. Veterinary services are limited for exotic pets, so finding an exotic vet may be difficult depending on where you live.
Some vets are willing to make house calls if they do not treat exotics in their office or run an exotic practice out
Will a Fox Eat a Cat?
There’s no question that the wild diet for foxes is primarily made up of small rodents, and cats are not small rodents. So why do we hear about cats being killed by foxes? It is possible to kill them?
The answer is yes, it can happen. But before you panic and lock your cat in your house forever, there are some things to consider. For one thing, the fox needs to be starving to death. Foxes don’t usually munch on kitty snacks for fun. Their diet consists of rabbits, rodents, and other animals who can get out of their way quickly.
Foxes aren’t strong enough or fast enough to catch a cat unless they’re extremely hungry or the cat is sick, old, or otherwise compromised. Foxes don’t normally eat cats. They are far more interested in the food that a cat is carrying or eating than they are in the cat itself.
Expert Tip: In fact, if a fox gets too close to a cat, the cat might scare it off by hissing or even swiping at it with its claws. But if a fox did try to attack your cat for some reason, your cat would likely be able to fight it off and win.
Conclusion
So, what do foxes eat? The types of food foxes eat vary depending on the time of year. When food is abundant foxes tend to be opportunistic eaters and will take advantage of whatever food is available. However, when food is scarce, foxes tend to focus mainly on small prey such as mice or voles.
