The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a member of the Order Carnivora and the dog family Canidae. Red foxes occupy the largest geographic range of any member of the Carnivora, across the entire Northern hemisphere, Central America, and Asia. There are currently 45 recognized subspecies of Vulpes Vulpes, and one of these subspecies is Vulpes vulpes harrimani, the Kodiak red fox.

Red foxes are one of only six mammals native to the Kodiak Archipelago, and like most other Kodiak mammals, Kodiak red foxes are very large. They have a huge tail, coarse, thick fur on the lower back and tail, and a thick ruff around the neck and shoulders. Most Kodiak red foxes are either cross foxes with a black/brown cross on their back and shoulders, or they are a solid reddish-orange in color. Silver foxes make up a smaller percentage of the population and are striking with black fur, silver-tipped guard hairs, and yellow eyes.

Red foxes breed in February and March in Alaska. Soon after mating, the female will begin preparing a den for the arrival of her kits (babies). She may dig her own den, but often a fox just enlarges the home of a smaller burrowing animal. The litter is born after a gestation period of 51 to 54 days. An average litter consists of four kits, but litters of ten are not uncommon.

The kits open their eyes at eight to ten days after birth and leave the den for the first time at five to six weeks of age. By the time the kits are three months old, they begin to hunt on their own, and the leave their mother when they are seven months old.
In the summer, we see young foxes dart out of their dens, playing, chasing each other, and learning to hunt. Kits are curious and will often sit and watch us as we cruise past them in our boat. Even adult foxes are curious, but as they age, they learn to be wary.

Most red fox populations are considered stable. Red foxes are adaptable, and while they seem to prefer a wild setting, they can thrive even when living near urban populations.
Humans are fascinated by the beautiful, curious, intelligent red fox, and the red fox has been the subject of many songs, fables, and parables. In certain areas, foxes are trapped or shot for their furs, and in the early 1900s, fox farms, to supply pelts, were established on many of the small islands around the Kodiak Archipelago and off the Alaska Peninsula.

In addition to man, red foxes have several other natural enemies, including wolves coyotes, lynx, wolverines, and possibly bears. Eagles may prey on young foxes. The mite Sarcoptes scabiei causes mange in red foxes, resulting in hair loss, wasting and death. In the wild, red foxes live about five years, but in captivity, they may live as long as fifteen years.

We often see red foxes on the beaches at low tide, feeding on mussels, starfish, sea urchins, worms, and other intertidal animals. Foxes are a part of the Kodiak landscape, and I smile whenever I spot one.

Next week, I’ll tell you how foxes communicate with each other.

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The audiobook of Murder Over Kodiak is now available, and you can buy it here. If you want a free digital copy of one of my books, watch my webinar, and you can download the book for free at the end.

Please leave me a comment if you have any observations, questions, or suggestions

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Robin Barefield is the author of three Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, and The Fisherman’s Daughter. To download a free copy of one of her novels, watch her webinar about how she became an author and why she writes Alaska wilderness mysteries. Also, sign up below to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.