There are two common foxes in Texas and seen throughout Arlington: the Red Fox and the Grey Fox. Grey fox are native to North America and can weigh between 7-15 pounds with a length of 31-44 inches. Greys are very versatile, being the only American canid (from the dog family) with true tree-climbing ability and they are also very good swimmers. They feed on fruits, insects, eggs, birds and small mammals. Red fox are also native to North America but were brought from Europe. Only the red foxes have a white tipped tail. Also, the red foxes can be larger than the greys, ranging from 7-17 pounds and 35-48 inches in length. Foxes are mostly nocturnal with their mating season in January or February and birthing season from March through May. They are known to be off on their own at the young age of six months.

While foxes are beautiful, feeding them can lead to foxes becoming acclimated to people, which can result in lethal control in urban areas because of the animals being seen as a threat. Seeing the foxes out in the day time does not necessarily mean the animal is rabid. On many occasions, kits (young baby foxes) are known to be out playing by themselves showing little fear of people but soon the parents will appear and the kits will be taught to avoid humans. The best method of avoiding a problem with these animals is to deter them from the area by using adverse conditioning called hazing, by making loud sounds such as banging pots or using an air horn.

Reference source: 911 Wildlife and The Humane Society of the United States

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