Three week old kits

The mother fox, a vixen, knows when the time is right. In the warmer parts of the world, young are born in February, but may come as late as April in colder regions. She and her mate, a dog fox, prepare for the arrivals in the safety of their den.

After nurturing them in her womb for over seven weeks, the relieved mother licks and nurses between 3 and 10 tiny, gray babies. She remains wrapped around the 4 ounce bundles for at least two days. During this important time, her mate brings food, which she gobbles down heartily.

In their second week of life, the small fox kits begin opening their eyes. The first sight is that of their mothers belly, where they continue to suckle constantly for milk. Now that they can see, it doesn't take them long to find their legs, and explore the inside of their home.

Mother with young outside den

Once a month has passed since her little ones were born, the vixen introduces them to the outside. Only peeking their noses out at first, they become anxious to smell, taste and explore every object in sight. If a kit ventures too far, it will cry for rescue until mother comes to retrieve him. Back in the den, they suck and paw at the prey leftover from their parents meals, and nap away the springtime hours.

Click here for video of kits at play (QuickTime, 5 Mb)

Each day they learn a little bit more. They have great fun finding how to best crouch, jump, and surprise an unsuspecting sibling. In fact, pouncing is practiced on anything that moves, until one is rewarded with a mouthful of cricket. Then, a game of tag begins, as each kit tries to steal the prize.

It's a good thing they've been learning to hunt, because at five weeks mother needs a rest. In their anxious nursing, the kits have tugged fur from her belly, and left teeth marks on her skin. It's time to wean them, and when her pups approach, she lays on her stomach. The kits beg their father for milk, but finding none, they start taking adult food more seriously.

Now the parents muffle a "wuk wuk wuk" sound before entering the den with food. The first kit to line up thumps his tail and whines submissively. He licks and nips at the corner of his parents mouth, until the food is dropped. Then he must defend it from his litter mates, which is when the kits become truly competitive.

Cub Squabble

In the beginning of their second month, fox pups fight for keeps. It may take up to 10 days of biting, chasing and squabbling to figure out who's boss. The winner, known as the alpha kit, will get to eat first and have a larger portion of the meal. At the other end of the chain, the omega kit may even have to skip meals if food is scarce. However, the mother will often carry food from one kit to another. This forced sharing both encourages hunting skills and better ensures everyones survival.

Once the hierarchy is established, peace returns to the family. The kits resume practicing their hunting, and become friends again. From their parents they learn important social behavior, and using it, they explore further away from the den. Although they stay within safety of the family territory, which can be over a mile, they know to avoid other foxes.

A Peaceful Time

During summer, a kit experiences the last carefree days of his youth. An abundant time for food, he becomes an expert hunter, enjoying wild berries, insects, and mice. With his parents still bringing home handouts, he's also free to enjoy the company of his siblings, and nap throughout the day.

When fully grown, each young fox weighs some 4 kilograms, and stands just over 30 centimeters high at the shoulder. They eat over 200 grams of food a day, and their coats have fully matured.

As autumn arrives, and winds change, the parents know dispersal time is near. They bring less food, and the boys in the litter are encouraged to seek out new territory. By the end of fall, most of the kits will have started adult lives away from home. A dangerous road lay ahead for them.

Sometimes young females will stay with their parents longer. If food isn't too hard to find, one of them may stay for years. If the parents have another litter, she'll help raise them too. Because foxes often mate for life, the family may grow to include several generations living together.