The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-02-12


their eyes have opened and they
have gained sufficient growth and
vigor to make their way out of
the sunny slopes where the dens
are usually located. Their first
appearance into the world of sun
shine is about six weeks from
birth. At this time they are old
enough to eat solid foods, and it
becomes a duty and task for both
parents to bring home a variety
of foods which are obtained on
foraging expeditions about the
countryside. There are definite
and close family ties throughout
the breeding season. Once a fe-
male has accepted a mate, the
pair remain together until the
final breaking-up of the family
during the fall months.
Young foxes closely resemble
puppies in general behavior.
They are extremely playful and
spend hours on sunny hillsides
near the den, wrestling and play
ing together, executing miniature
battles and playing tug-of-war
with sticks and bones.
Food Habits
Although foxes are classified as
carnivores (meat-eating) tn cir
food is obtained from a wide va
riety of sources. If their food
were confined only to the acorns,
berries, fruits and other vegetive
matter that is frequently includ-
ed in their diet, foxes would not
present the serious game man.
agement problem that their hab-
its have created. The vast range
of foods which appeal to the pal
ate of foxes lets him in for con-
siderable difficulty. In any dis
cussion of the food habits of the
fox, it should be remembered
that they are like any other ami
NAL, human beings included:
they are inherently lazy, and fol-
lowing the line of least resist
ance, will reap benefit from the
livelihood that is most easily OBJ
tanned. Here are some of the
more important items in the fox
diet, although not necessarily in
the order of importance: mice,
rabbits, moles, shrews, wood
chucks, snakes, lizards, frogs,
crayfish, birds (any kind the fox
can catch), newborn lambs, poul-
try, small turtles, shrimps, field
corn, acorns, fruits, berries, and
even roots and grasses.
The above list of foods, al
though incomplete, holds the key
to why foxes can be considered
valuable animals as well as pests.
If foxes were to be suddenly and
completely eliminated from the
list of North Cardinals animals,
the agriculture of the State
would soon be in a state of COM
plete collapse. AS mentioned be-
fore, foxes take foods which are
most readily obtainable. The
most abundant of fox foods are
rodents. Rodents are notorious
destroyers of crops. If foxes did
not keep rodent populations in
check it would be impossible to
raise any kind of field crop with
the possible exception of tobacco.
1t appears that a few quail and
chickens taken by foxes now and
then are small price indeed to
pay for the protection to crops
given by the Notwithstanding
habit of foxes.
RABBITS are an important item
in the diet of foxes, but this fact
is by no means sufficient to war
rant the wholesale destruction of
foxes by hunters who enjoy
rabbit shooting as their favorite
sport. Rabbits are extremely pro-
life, and game census surveys
carried on scientifically by Wild
life Resources Commission per-
sonnet have shown that both rab-
bit and foxes are abundant in
many identical localities. A
shortage of foxes might easily
cause an increase in rabbit popu-
lations to the damage point.
Thousands of dollars have been
spent in many states, including
North Carolina, on studies of fox
food habits. Trained scientists
have analysed the contents of the
stomachs of foxes taken through
out the United States during
every month of the year. None of
the analyses have indicated that
game birds of any kind appear
with dangerous frequency in the
fox diet. Foxes do eat quail,
when quail happen to be con-
venient source of food. They also
take ruffed grouse and undoubt-
edly kill an occasional wild tur-
key. 1t must be admitted, how
ever, that foxes and quail and
turkeys existed and got along
quite well together in this coun-
try long before the New World
was ever dreamed of, and Mans
interference with the natural