Red Fox Napping

Red Fox kits leave their mother when they are about seven months old.  If the mother dies before then, the father takes over their care.  My three little fox kits must be of age, but I wonder how much longer they'll stick together like the Three Musketeers....  Usually sibling rivalry and competition for food splits them up.

I was shocked to find out that the average life span of a red fox is 1 1/2 to 2 years.  That's too short!  It's a tough world out there, and their habitat is mainly suburban now, fraught with dangers such as humans that are afraid they are rabid and a threat to their pets or children, humans who feed them (A fed fox is a dead fox), and busy roads, to name just a few.

It's not easy being red.

 

 Nap time!

I've included this last photo to show how much space I give them when I am photographing them.  The fox is in my neighbor's yard, resting on a boulder.  I am in my car on my driveway, engine off, taking pictures through the window.  This one felt secure enough in its spot to rest while I was present.  Awww.