THE BRITISH RED FOX 



CHAPTER II 



HAVING briefly reviewed the foxes found in 

 other countries, we may now devote our 

 attention to our own red rascal. 

 Roughly speaking, fox cubs are born towards 

 the latter end of March. At first they are 

 covered with mouse-coloured fur. Born blind, 

 it is some time before the cubs open their eyes. 

 I have seen it stated that they remain so for a 

 period of eight days, but in my experience the 

 time varies a good deal. I have reared cubs 

 from the blind stage until they were nearly full 

 grown, and some of them did not open their eyes 

 fully until almost three weeks old. Both eyes 

 do not invariably begin to open at once, develop- 

 ment being slow, as in the case of polecats, stoats, 

 and ferrets. At first the cub's eyes are blue- 

 grey in colour, the latter gradually changing 

 until it assumes the amber shade of the eyes of the 

 adult. The coat changes at the same time as the 

 eyes, the brown colour first making its appearance 

 about the face. The nose, which is at first flesh- 

 coloured, gradually darkens until it becomes 

 black. Not until in the neighbourhood of five 

 weeks old does the cub begin to make any real use 

 of its legs. Once it begins to walk however, 

 its limbs rapidly strengthen, and its future bodily 

 development is remarkably rapid. The white 

 tip to the brush is visible in very yoimg cubs. 

 Both dog foxes and vixens may have it, and it 



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