Foxes, members of the Canidae family, are highly adaptable mammals found across diverse landscapes, including woodlands, grasslands, mountains, and even urban areas. A common question is whether these cunning creatures burrow underground. Foxes do indeed dig and utilize underground structures, known as dens or earths, for various purposes throughout their lives. These underground dwellings are integral to their survival and reproduction, providing a secure sanctuary.
Foxes and Their Underground Homes
Foxes create underground homes, commonly referred to as dens or earths. These structures typically feature an entrance hole leading to a tunnel system that descends into the earth. The average entrance is about 7 to 8 inches in diameter, sometimes hidden under a boulder or within a fallen tree. The main tunnel, often sloped, can lead to multiple chambers and extend from 10 to 75 feet in length. A typical fox den may have several entrances, with some complex dens featuring up to 19 openings.
While foxes can dig their own dens, particularly in loose soil, they frequently take over and enlarge burrows dug by other animals, such as rabbits, badgers, or woodchucks. These inherited or adapted dens can be used for several consecutive years, sometimes even across generations.
Purpose of Fox Dens
Foxes use dens primarily for birthing and raising their young, known as kits. Vixens give birth to litters, typically four to five kits, in these secure underground spaces, usually around March. Both parents often share the responsibility of raising the young within the den, ensuring their safety. The kits emerge from the den around April and stay with their mother for approximately four months.
Dens also offer foxes protection from various environmental threats. They provide shelter from harsh weather conditions, including extreme cold, heat, and heavy rain. These burrows also serve as a refuge from predators, especially for young kits. Foxes also use dens for resting and sleeping, though they often sleep in the open when not raising young. Some dens even include designated areas for storing food caches.
Other Shelters Foxes Use
Foxes are opportunistic and adaptable, frequently using other shelters. They often seek refuge in abandoned badger setts or rabbit warrens, enlarging them as needed. Natural formations like hollow logs, rock piles, and crevices between cliffs also serve as temporary or long-term residences. Foxes may also find shelter in dense vegetation, such as thickets of bushes or bramble, which offer concealment.
In urban environments, foxes have adapted to utilize man-made structures for shelter. They commonly make dens under sheds, decks, porches, or even in crawl spaces beneath human dwellings. Other urban hideouts can include culverts, abandoned buildings, or junk piles. Shelter choice depends on availability, season, and whether the fox is raising kits, as a secure location is paramount for vulnerable young.