Red fox — facts for kids
Vulpes vulpes
The fox hears better than almost any other animal in the forest. It stands completely still and turns its ears. Then it jumps straight down into the snow — a little vole was hiding there.
Field notes
How big?
Like a medium-sized dog
How heavy?
About the same as a big cat
What does it eat?
Voles, eggs and berries
When can you see it?
At dusk and early morning
How big is it?
Red fox is 40 cm tall at the shoulder.
Look for this
Paw prints in an almost perfectly straight line, as if someone pulled a string through the snow.
How it sounds
A short, hoarse bark: waff! At night it can scream so it sounds like a child.
Fun to know
- A fox can hear a vole digging under the snow.
- It uses its tail as a warm blanket when it sleeps.
- A fox family can have several entrances to its den.
Questions kids ask about the red fox
Vad äter du?
Jag äter gärna möss, insekter, fåglar och bär.
Var bor du?
I ett gryt under stubbar och rötter, med flera utgångar.
Hur hittar du mat?
Jag hör en sork under snön och hoppar rakt ner på ljudet.
Try it right here
Meet the red fox for real
Around Lake Sidsjön in Sundsvall, Sweden, the animals stand in their real places. Come within ten metres and the red fox comes alive in the phone and answers children's questions. The trail is in Swedish.