Baby foxes, known as kits, produce sounds distinct from adults. These unique calls serve various purposes in their early development, to communicate needs and interact. Understanding these sounds offers insight into early fox life and communication.
The Distinct Sounds of Baby Foxes
Newborn kits begin with high-pitched whines, resembling a dog’s whine, often decreasing in frequency towards the end. These sounds are frequent shortly after birth, especially when kits are hungry or have low body temperatures. Around 19 days old, whines evolve into infantile barks and yelps, commonly observed during playful interactions.
Red fox cubs also produce murmurs and warbles, unique to their age and not replicated by adults. Warbles are a blend of various sounds, common in cubs aged two to three weeks, gradually transitioning into more adult-like barks. Around one month of age, kits can also emit an “explosive call,” a high-pitched howl signaling a threat to intruders or other young foxes.
Why Baby Foxes Vocalize
Baby foxes vocalize primarily to communicate immediate needs and engage with their mother and siblings. Newborn whines stimulate maternal care and can encourage the male fox to attend to his mate and kits. Whining also signals frustration or a desire for attention from other foxes.
Rhythmic yelping develops around three weeks of age, used when a cub needs attention or is separated. A lonely cub might produce a warbling noise to attract attention. Beyond hunger or distress, yelps are prominent during play, indicating social development. Mother foxes use soft whines and whimpers to calm pups and make them feel secure.
How Baby Fox Sounds Differ from Adults
The vocalizations of baby foxes contrast significantly with adult foxes in pitch, complexity, and repertoire. Kits produce higher-pitched, less varied, and more urgent sounds than adults. Unique murmurs and warbles are exclusive to cubs. Adults use a wider range of sounds (barks, screams, howls, chatters), while kits have a more limited set, typically eight distinct calls compared to adults’ twelve or more.
Adult barks vary from short alarm calls to longer “wow-wow-wow” contact calls for territory or greetings. Piercing screams, often associated with foxes, are predominantly made by adult females during mating or by both sexes for territorial defense, not typically heard from kits. As kits mature, their vocalizations transition; the defensive spitting call at four weeks evolves into the adult “gekkering” sound for aggressive encounters.