Red Fox
Shyera, or SHY, arrived at Animal Tracks in December 2016 when she was just seven months old. Originally a victim of the pet trade, she was surrendered by a private owner in Utah who could no longer keep her after moving. She was taken in by a sanctuary, but with an already full house of foxes, they reached out to us. Thanks to a generous fundraising effort, we covered the fuel costs for a flight—piloted by the ex-husband of one of our employees—to bring her safely to her new forever home.
Shy is a stunning and incredibly sweet fox with a big personality and an even bigger voice! She adores long walks, often exploring the large yard where our wolf hybrids play. Her best friend? A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Sadie, who often joins her on adventures. Shy is never bored—her days are filled with toys, mischief, and her favorite pastime: digging holes, which we lovingly (and constantly) fill back in.
Her unique marble-colored coat was selectively bred for the pet trade. In the wild, this rare phase occurs in less than 2% of foxes and would be a major disadvantage, as it offers little camouflage. While she was never meant to live in the wild, Shy now thrives in a safe, enriching environment where she can be the curious, playful fox she was born to be.
ORDER: Carnivora
FAMILY: Canidae
GENUS: Vulpes
SPECIES: Vulpes
Most active during twilight (crepuscular) and evening hours, (nocturnal). They eat a highly varied diet which makes them opportunistic omnivores. They love a good hunt and will even hunt when not hungry to store food for hard times. Red foxes are the largest of all the foxes and are legendary for intelligence and resourcefulness. They can hear a mouse squeak 100 feet away and have an incredibly good hunting success rate of 75%. They are monogamous and breed January thru March. They are pregnant 60 days, normally producing 1 to 10 babies at a time. A normal family consists of 1 male and 1 to 2 females with pups. They sexually mature at 7 months of age.
Threats
Habitat destruction and over hunting. Once a population is depleted, rodent populations will skyrocket.
Conservation Status
LC - Least Concern