Red fox like to climb up on things in order to get a better view, but they are poor tree climbers. Fox usually avoid getting wet, but they can and do swim when they are forced to. General Red fox contribute to the overall health of prey species by keeping the prey species controlled. They can and do take domestic fowl when the opportunity presents itself, particularly during the spring when there is a need to provide foods for growing litters. Due to modern farming practices in many areas, this problem is lesser than it has been in the past.
Red fox are vulnerable to rabies, and rabid animals can infect pets or even man.
They are also vulnerable to several diseases and severe devastation can and does occur when populations are high enough for easy transmission. Mange and parvo enteritis are two of the most serious fox diseases. Mange is caused by mites which tunnel into the fox's skin, causing irritation and loss of fur. Infections occur as a result of the growing eggs and excrement in the the skin, and caking or crusting occurs particularly around the eyes and nose of the infected fox. Nearly naked tails are observed in mange infested fox, and it appears that nearly all foxes infected with mange die slow and painful deaths.