Skittish and shy, foxes seldom pose a threat to humans.
Falyn Owens often fields calls from homeowners about foxes denning beneath sheds and crawlspaces or passing through yards in the daytime. “They’re worried that the foxes are dangerous, that they’re going to attack people, that they have rabies,” says Owens, an extension wildlife biologist at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “But most of the time, the foxes are not causing legitimate issues.”
Still, the calls are increasing. Owens attributes this to the fact that over the years, humans have spread out and the wily mammals have learned how to flourish around them. In some ways, manmade suburbs and urban neighborhoods offer habitat that is equal to, or even better than, the forests and farmlands they once roamed.
“Foxes, just like any other type of wild animal, are survivors. They can adapt,” says Owens. “They are definitely learning how to co-exist with us, especially since human beings tend to provide a lot of great habitat for wild animals with sheltered spots underneath decks or houses. Crawlspaces are like miniature caves that wildlife use to get out of the elements and escape predators. And we love putting out birdfeeders and feeding our pets outside, which just provides this extra food resource. Garbage that’s not secured also provides really calorically dense, protein-rich, fat-rich food sources that are very attractive to all manner of wild animals.”
Blue Ridge residents are apt to see both red and gray foxes, which also feature a touch of rusty orange-red on their shoulders and heads. The best way to tell them apart, Owens points out, is to look at the tail. The red fox’s is white-tipped, while the smaller, salt-and-pepper-colored gray species sports a black one along with a matching stripe down its back. The gray fox can also climb trees to escape coyotes and other predators.
People who don’t have much experience with wildlife tend to get their information about foxes and other critters through news reports, which generally only cover rare incidents such as rabid behavior or attacks, Owens notes. While it’s important to know about such events, she says, it’s even more critical to keep them in perspective, since most foxes don’t have rabies.
. . . END OF PREVIEW
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