 Momma Red Fox and three pups (click to see larger).  Red Fox pups (kits) [Click to see larger] | I've been looking for a Fox den to photograph for several years, and I finally hit the jackpot. It turns out that this one is very well known in the area around the den in North Iowa and easily accessible to take photos from the car. This female Red Fox must be exhausted. I counted at least seven pups (or kits if you prefer) and at one point I thought there might be eight, but they wouldn't stand still long enough for me to count. She would leave for a hour or more and come back with one rodent and be swarmed by the pups all wanting play with the warm food and to all nurse at once. I'm not sure that she had that many feeding stations. The photos were taken from the sun roof window on my car with a 700mm telephoto lens, so as to not disturb the family. They were backlit in the early morning sun, which made it challenging to get the correct exposure, but gave a nice highlight of the fur. Update April 30: I had another opportunity to take pictures this evening in the warm evening sunlight. Much better lighting conditions. We only saw three pups on this occasion. The female came back from hunting to nurse them for awhile and then they all wandered off into the nearby woods, perhaps on a hunting expedition. Another Update: I've just learned that a female Fox is called a "Vixen". Lifelong learning is a wonderful thing. Thanks Don P. [See more Fox Photos here...] |
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