Foxes are fully mature at 10 months old, and breed the following spring. The life expectancy in the wild for red foxes is very low, usually 3 years, although they have the potential to live for 12 years. Often, they fall prey to other animals, or humans. They are very agile, and can dodge out of the way quickly, and are very determined. Foxes can also give chase, and have the endurance to keep it up until the pursuer gives up.
Foxes are very territorial, attacking intruders fiercely.
They occupy a home range of 1-8 square miles. Both sexes will mark the territory using urine and feces. Foxes have a hierarchical social structure. The usual social arrangement is a mated pair and their latest brood of young, although social arrangements like a harem, one male with a group of females living in his territory, have been recorded. In this case, one female is dominant, and is the only one to breed.