The Nova Scotia Red Fox (also known as its full geographic dispersion name "Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador Red Fox") is a small to medium-sized canid, with long and slender legs and
pointed muzzle, and long brush-like tail. One of the largest subspecies of North American Red
Fox, smaller than Eurasian Red Foxes, darker in color, with a large, very broad and bushy tail. It's also the deepest-colored subspecies.
Black, silver and cross color phases are common. Pelage is variable, pale golden fulvous to
deep rich and very dark fulvous. Throat and chest are white. Muzzle slender and pointed, white
on upper lip. Ears relatively large, pointed, erect, black backed and usually white inside. Black
legs usually up to the thighs. Tail is very long, thick, and bushy, pale buffy yellowish to rich dark
fulvous, mixed with black hairs, most abundant below, and white tipped. Females are slightly
smaller than males.
ABOUT THE CROSS FOXES
Cross foxes are a color phase or morph of the red fox species found mainly in North America. They are not a separate species but rather a variation in coloration within the red fox population. The name "cross fox" refers to the dark cross-shaped pattern on their back, which is formed by a dark stripe running down the middle of the back and another stripe across the shoulders.
The cross fox's coloration is a result of a genetic variation that produces a mix of red, black, and silver fur. Their fur is predominantly reddish-brown, but with black fur occurring along the back and shoulders. The black fur often forms a distinct cross pattern, which gives them their name. Some cross foxes may have silver or gray fur on the sides, while others can display variations in color intensity and pattern.
These foxes are primarily found in the northern regions of North America, including parts of Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States. They inhabit a variety of habitats, including forests, tundra, grasslands, and even suburban areas.
Reproduction and behavior
- Gestation: 51-53 days.
- Young per birth: 4-8.
- Weaning: 56-70 days.
- Sexual maturity: 12 months.
- Life span: 6 years.
- Breeding season: December to March, with peak activity in late January.
Young are born during March and early
April. Both parents take part in raising the pups. Family groups
stay intact until mid-September, when pups begin to disperse.
Most of the dispersal takes place during mid-September to early
October with greatest dispersal distances occurring from October
through December.
Males generally disperse twice the distance of females, commonly moving 30-65km before settling in new territories.
Quite often female's offspring will remain close to, or share their mother’s
territories. Related females tolerate each other’s presence, but territories
of unrelated females are clearly defined and adhered to. Social behavior: Mated pairs during the breeding season. Monogamous; the pair may separate during the year, but will reunite for mating.
Diet and interaction with the environment
Their diet consists in small rodents and other small to mid-sized mammals
(voles, snowshoe hares, lemmings, squirrels, rabbits and mice);
additional spring foods include grasses and forbs, birds and bird eggs,
and carrion; they rely heavily on berries, plants and insects during
the summer; apples are utilized when they become available.
Main
predators: Coyote, Wolf, lynx. Most active from dusk to dawn, moving
away from secure den sites primarily during the hours of darkness.
They hunt mostly toward sunset, during night and early morning.
Home range sizes vary considerably, depending on food abundance,
degree of interspecific and intraspecific competition, type and
diversity of habitat, and presence of natural and physical barriers (0.7-2.3 km2
on Prince Edward Island, 32 km2
in Maine).
Home ranges of males clearly overlap those of at least 1 or more females. They oftentimes travel
much of their home range each night. They use smelly droppings and
urine as scent markings to define territories. Red foxes have a sharp
bark, used when startled and to warn other foxes.
Habitat:
Native to Canada. Found in Nova Scotia, including
Cape Breton Island, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,
Newfoundland and Labrador, central Quebec to south end of James
Bay, and northeastern Ontario west to Lake Superior.
They inhabit a variety of habitats, closely associated with areas where crop
land and fields are intermixed with adjacent wooded tracts. Logging
and farming activities open the forest canopy and improve conditions
for Red Fox. On Prince Edward Island they prefer dunes, shrubs,
agricultural fields, and human-use habitats, while forest and water
habitats are used less. They avoid burned and open conifer forest.
Conservation status: Least Concern. Leading
causes of mortality include trapping, hunting, and road kills. Rabies and
sarcoptic mange are natural mortality factors which can substantially
decrease local populations. The recent increase in coyote numbers and
distribution in this area may have adverse affects on its population.
Physiognomic information:
- Body length: 66.5-74.5 cm (♂), 57.9-62.6 cm (♀).
- Tail length: 33.6-44.5 cm
- Height: 35-45 cm
- Weight: 4.1-7.3 kg (♂), 3.6-5.7 kg (♀)
- Skull: 15 cm
Taxonomy:
The North American red foxes have been traditionally considered either as subspecies of the Old World red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, or subspecies of their own species, Vulpes fulva. Due to the opinion that North American red foxes were introduced from Europe, all North American red foxes have been seen as conspecific with Vulpes vulpes; however, genetic analyses of global red fox haplotypes indicates that the North American red foxes have been genetically isolated from the Old World populations for 400,000 years, prompting possible application of Vulpes fulva to all North American red foxes.
At least 9 subspecies are generally recognized in North America (Aubry, 1983 and 2009, Kamler and Ballard, 2002; Sacks, 2010): Vulpes fulva fulva (Eastern United States),
Vulpes fulva rubricosa (central and E Canada),
Vulpes fulva regalis,
Vulpes fulva alascensis (boreal Alaska),
Vulpes fulva abietorum (boreal Canada),
Vulpes fulva macroura (Rocky Mountains),
Vulpes fulva cascadensis (Cascade Range),
Vulpes fulva necator (Sierra Nevada) and
Vulpes fulva patwin (Sacramento Valley).
Castello (2018) has formalized treatment of Vulpes fulva as a separate species from the Old World Vulpes vulpes. In 2014, Mark J. Statham among others released a study that supports Vulpes fulva as a separate species from the Old World Vulpes vulpes. More about the Vulpes vulpes fulva and Vulpes fulva discussion:
Gallery:
Due to the similarity in appearance between North American Red Foxes, some of the images may be erroneous. That's why I haven't found any videos about this subspecies either, if you think you have any image or video of the Vulpes fulva rubricosa let me know in the comments or contact me on any of my social networks (@etzharai).
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