liamlumsden Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 i am just wondering if any1 nos the number of foxes in the uk i read an artical in the countrymens weekly that foxes need controled not exterminated(spelling) and it got me thinking there is alot on here who shoot and control foxes and there will be many people that are not on this site that also control foxes so i was just wanting to no the numbers and the breeding rate in the last year cheer liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Extract from here: http://www.shootingcommunity.co.uk/forum/v...f=23&t=5087 Red Fox : (Vulpes vulpes) General Information Note fox are not classed as vermin in the eyes of the law. Medium sized canid characterised by red coat and the bushy tail (brush) usually tipped in white. Backs of the ears and lower legs generally black. Coloration of the coat does vary and some foxes appear to be almost black. During summer the fox goes through a moult period when the new winter coat grows out. Moult can start as early as February and is complete by October. During moult foxes can appear to look in poor condition. Length: Male up to 75cm including tail but large in some areas depending on food availability. Female generally shorter. Weight: Male in the range of 4kg to 8kg, generally around 6kg average. Female approx 1kg lighter Life span Typically between 3 and 6 years in the wild but in captivity they have been know to live in to double figures. Dominant dog foxes tend to live longer than subordinates. Early mortality of cubs can be high, upto 80% in some areas, and non parent dog foxes will target cubs that are not their own. Aging foxes is best done by looking at teeth wear. (particularly incisor). Grey around the muzzle which we associate with age in dogs does not indicate the same in foxes. Activity Foxes tend to be mostly active from dusk through to dawn preferring the cover of darkness. In areas of low human activity day time activity is increased. Daytime activity also increases when cubs are being fed. Breeding Breeding season runs between December and February. The females season is short and typically lasts between 1 and 4 days. During this period foxes often pair up for a period of time and stay in each others company for a few weeks. As the vixen comes into season mating will be frequent and the pair may become tied to each other for a period of time. Post mating vixens will seek a den, normally with 2 entrances, where the pups will be born 53 days after mating. During pregnancy and after birth the vixen is fed by the male and possibly other subordinate males though this is not always the case. Normal littler size is between 4 and 6 pups. Cubs are totally dependant on the vixens milk for the first 4 to 5 weeks. First solid food is in the form of partially digested meat regurgitated by the vixen within the den. After 6 to 7 weeks the vixen will leave the den to support the dog in hunting for food. At about 8 weeks, approx May, the cubs are fully weaned. At 5 to 6 weeks cubs will start to emerge from the den and can be seen playing close to the entrance. At 3 to 5 months the cubs are considered to be fully independent from their parents and able to hunt for themselves. By September they are fully grown and sexually mature by 9 to 10 months of age. Distribution Foxes are found through out the UK though they are not present on the Isle of Man despite attempts to reintroduce them. They have adapted extremely well to urban environments. Food Foxes are opportunistic and omnivorous feeders with a diet primarily of small mammals, rabbits, hares, birds, insects, fruit, earthworms and carrion. Cannibalisation does occur if food supplies are limited. In periods when food is abundant foxes will cache food in shallow scrapes scattered around the foxes home territory. Foxes will also take domestic animals, particularly chicken/fowl and new born lambs and where game shooting takes place will target released and wild game birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamlumsden Posted February 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 thanks mate a good read but still the question goes on does any1 no the number of foxes in the british isles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Hard to say but in the region of 200,000 to 250,000 in the UK depending on who you speak to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Logic Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Extract from here: http://www.shootingcommunity.co.uk/forum/v...f=23&t=5087 Red Fox : (Vulpes vulpes) General Information Note fox are not classed as vermin in the eyes of the law. Medium sized canid characterised by red coat and the bushy tail (brush) usually tipped in white. Backs of the ears and lower legs generally black. Coloration of the coat does vary and some foxes appear to be almost black. During summer the fox goes through a moult period when the new winter coat grows out. Moult can start as early as February and is complete by October. During moult foxes can appear to look in poor condition. Length: Male up to 75cm including tail but large in some areas depending on food availability. Female generally shorter. Weight: Male in the range of 4kg to 8kg, generally around 6kg average. Female approx 1kg lighter Life span Typically between 3 and 6 years in the wild but in captivity they have been know to live in to double figures. Dominant dog foxes tend to live longer than subordinates. Early mortality of cubs can be high, upto 80% in some areas, and non parent dog foxes will target cubs that are not their own. Aging foxes is best done by looking at teeth wear. (particularly incisor). Grey around the muzzle which we associate with age in dogs does not indicate the same in foxes. Activity Foxes tend to be mostly active from dusk through to dawn preferring the cover of darkness. In areas of low human activity day time activity is increased. Daytime activity also increases when cubs are being fed. Breeding Breeding season runs between December and February. The females season is short and typically lasts between 1 and 4 days. During this period foxes often pair up for a period of time and stay in each others company for a few weeks. As the vixen comes into season mating will be frequent and the pair may become tied to each other for a period of time. Post mating vixens will seek a den, normally with 2 entrances, where the pups will be born 53 days after mating. During pregnancy and after birth the vixen is fed by the male and possibly other subordinate males though this is not always the case. Normal littler size is between 4 and 6 pups. Cubs are totally dependant on the vixens milk for the first 4 to 5 weeks. First solid food is in the form of partially digested meat regurgitated by the vixen within the den. After 6 to 7 weeks the vixen will leave the den to support the dog in hunting for food. At about 8 weeks, approx May, the cubs are fully weaned. At 5 to 6 weeks cubs will start to emerge from the den and can be seen playing close to the entrance. At 3 to 5 months the cubs are considered to be fully independent from their parents and able to hunt for themselves. By September they are fully grown and sexually mature by 9 to 10 months of age. Distribution Foxes are found through out the UK though they are not present on the Isle of Man despite attempts to reintroduce them. They have adapted extremely well to urban environments. Food Foxes are opportunistic and omnivorous feeders with a diet primarily of small mammals, rabbits, hares, birds, insects, fruit, earthworms and carrion. Cannibalisation does occur if food supplies are limited. In periods when food is abundant foxes will cache food in shallow scrapes scattered around the foxes home territory. Foxes will also take domestic animals, particularly chicken/fowl and new born lambs and where game shooting takes place will target released and wild game birds. Lovely bit of info on the fox. one thing though - the bit about fox not being classed as vermin - that's **** I'm afraid. Vermin isn't properly defined, that's one of the problems of the legislation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Hard to say but in the region of 200,000 to 250,000 in the UK depending on who you speak to. I don't know is the simple answer, but there are more Roe in the country than that, so I feel that number is low. Also Defra suggest 100,000 fox are killed on the roads EVERY year, I believe that many, or more, are hunted or trapped, etc and then there is natural wastage...!!!! So...personal view only, but I suspect 250,000 is very low, hopefully someone will come up with an "Official" estimate, I would be interested!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colster Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Current estimations of the number of foxes in the UK stand at 240,000; 195,000 in England, 23,000 in Scotland and 22,000 in Wales (there are no data for Northern Ireland). Source: http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html#numbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Current estimations of the number of foxes in the UK stand at 240,000; 195,000 in England, 23,000 in Scotland and 22,000 in Wales (there are no data for Northern Ireland). Source: http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html#numbers Cheers for that...interesting, I was involved in an Urban Fox Study for Reading Uni a couple of years back, that was only local though and gave no indication of Total numbers....who knows, and who knows how they come to a conclusion on numbers, I am very probably wrong but somehow that number just seems too low to me!!! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joke209061 Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 That estimate sounds about right.................for berkshire! Weve loads in Reading, that 250,000 does sound very low. But the official estimate of muntjack is very low as well isnt it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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