The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is an incredibly adaptable and widespread predator whose survival depends on a highly flexible diet. This species is classified as an omnivore, meaning it consumes both animal and plant matter. This trait allows it to flourish across vastly different environments, from dense forests to agricultural lands and even urban areas. The ability of the red fox to switch its food sources based on local availability is the primary factor allowing its success across its expansive global range. This dietary adaptability ensures the fox can meet its caloric needs, which typically range between 0.5 to 1 kilogram of food each day.
Primary Hunted Prey
The core of the red fox’s diet in the wild consists of small and medium-sized mammals, which are actively hunted throughout the year. Rodents, particularly voles (Microtus spp.), mice, and shrews, form the bulk of the mammalian food intake. Lagomorphs, such as rabbits and hares, are also regularly preyed upon, especially where they are abundant.
Foxes use a distinctive hunting behavior for these small prey, known as the “mousing pounce.” The fox listens intently, often with its head cocked, to pinpoint the location of prey moving beneath dense vegetation or snow, using its acute hearing. Once the target is located, the fox leaps high into the air, bringing its forelimbs down forcefully to pin the animal to the ground. In addition to small mammals, red foxes prey on birds, especially ground-nesting species and their eggs, and occasionally take nestling songbirds. They may also consume amphibians like frogs and various reptiles, although these make up a smaller portion of the diet.
Seasonal Foraging and Invertebrates
The omnivorous nature of the red fox becomes evident during the warmer months, when plant-based foods and invertebrates are most plentiful. Fruits, berries, nuts, and grains supplement the fox’s diet, helping to sustain it when small mammal populations fluctuate. Specific plant foods consumed include wild grapes, apples, raspberries, and corn, varying based on local availability.
Invertebrates constitute a large and important part of the fox’s total food intake, sometimes accounting for 30% or more of the diet depending on the habitat and season. Beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, earthworms, and grubs are commonly consumed, providing a readily available source of protein. Foxes forage for these insects casually as they move through their territory. The consumption of these items provides necessary nutrients during late summer and autumn, a period when other prey may be less accessible. This dietary shift highlights the fox’s opportunism, allowing it to exploit seasonal abundance.
Opportunistic Scavenging
The red fox’s ability to survive in diverse environments is further supported by its habit of opportunistic scavenging. They readily consume carrion, or dead animals, which can become a significant food source, particularly during the winter months when hunting live prey is more challenging. This includes animals killed by other predators or those found as roadkill.
In areas near human development, foxes frequently rely on anthropogenic sources, including discarded human refuse. They will raid compost piles, open garbage containers, and consume pet food left outdoors. This behavior demonstrates the species’ behavioral plasticity and ability to thrive in suburban and urban settings. While scavenging offers an easy meal, foxes are known to delay or avoid consuming certain types of carrion, such as the remains of other carnivores. The fox often caches surplus food by burying it in the ground, allowing it to return later for a meal when resources are scarce.