For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Foxes are looking particularly smart this month. To keep themselves warm in winter they grow a long winter coat of thick red-brown fur. It's also the start of the mating season for foxes.
The male and female foxes find each other by calling out after dusk. The males let out a short, loud bark, and the females answer with an eerie scream. It can sound amazingly human, and might make you wonder if a dastardly crime is being committed!
Even if you don't see them or hear them, you might smell them. At this time of year they advertise their presence by scent marking their paths with musky smelling urine. This extra strong odour is created by special 'violet glands' at the base of the tail.
Comments
"I was reminded that some years ago (don't ask) I worked in an emergency services control room. It was surprising how many calls we received around this time of year, regarding ladies screaming on parkland at night. Always investigated they were invariably noted as A. Fox responsible".
Peter P.
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