Foxes are adaptable, opportunistic omnivores, consuming both plant and animal matter. This dietary flexibility allows them to thrive in diverse environments, from dense forests to bustling urban areas.
Core Diet: Small Prey and Insects
The primary components of a fox’s diet include small mammals and insects. Foxes feed on rodents like mice, voles, and rats, which provide a rich source of protein and nutrients. They also hunt lagomorphs such as rabbits and hares, which are a significant portion of their diet, especially in rural areas. Foxes are skilled hunters, using acute senses of hearing and smell to locate prey. They often employ a characteristic pouncing technique, leaping into the air before descending on their target.
Birds and their eggs are also opportunistic prey for foxes, especially during spring and early summer when cubs require more sustenance. Insects like beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and worms form a substantial part of their diet. These smaller food items are important during seasons when other prey may be scarce, and urban foxes consume a significant amount of insects. Earthworms can make up a large percentage of a red fox’s caloric intake.
Seasonal Foraging: Fruits, Berries, and Scavenging
Beyond hunted prey, foxes supplement their diet with plant matter and by scavenging. Fruits and berries are eaten, especially when seasonally abundant in autumn. Common plant foods include blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, apples, and nuts such as hazelnuts and acorns. Foxes also eat vegetables and cultivated crops like corn, wheat, and barley.
Foxes readily consume carrion, the decaying flesh of dead animals. This opportunistic scavenging includes animals killed on roads or by larger predators, and is an important survival strategy, especially when live prey is scarce. Urban foxes have adapted to city life by incorporating food waste, such as discarded human food and pet food left outdoors, into their diet. Studies indicate that human-derived food can account for over a third of an urban fox’s diet.
Dietary Adaptations and Regional Variations
A fox’s diet varies based on its habitat, season, and food availability. This adaptability is an important factor in their widespread success across different environments. Rural foxes typically rely more on wild prey like small mammals and birds, while urban foxes often consume more human-derived food and insects.
Seasonal changes also influence their food choices. In spring and summer, when food is plentiful, foxes enjoy a diverse diet of small mammals, birds, insects, fruits, and berries. During colder winter months, their diet often shifts to a higher proportion of small animals and carrion. Different fox species also exhibit varied dietary adaptations; for example, Arctic foxes primarily consume lemmings, rodents, birds, and carrion, but also eat berries and seaweed. Their diet in coastal areas might include fish and seal pups.
Responsible Interaction and Unsuitable Foods
Interacting with foxes requires responsible practices to avoid harm to their health and natural behaviors. Avoid feeding foxes processed human foods, sugary items, or other harmful foods. Chocolate is toxic to foxes. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney damage, and dairy products can cause digestive issues as foxes are lactose intolerant. Onions, garlic, and chives can also be toxic, causing gastrointestinal irritation and damage to red blood cells.
Feeding foxes can lead to negative consequences, making them reliant on human handouts and lose natural foraging skills. It can also increase human-wildlife conflict by drawing foxes into residential areas. Observing foxes from a distance is recommended. If food must be left, place it in a quiet area, avoiding close interaction. Ensuring secure garbage bins and removing fallen fruit from yards can help deter foxes from becoming habituated to human food sources.