Our Community in Fairfax County, Virginia
Red Foxes in Westlawn
By Dave Conway and Fairfax County, April 2009
One November morning, I glanced out my back window and saw a red fox sauntering across the back yard to disappear into a wooded area. Should we be worried about foxes in Westlawn? Not any more than raccoons or other wildlife commonly found in our area.
Many people are frightened by foxes and other wildlife. Be their advocate – gently encourage your neighbors and friends to tolerate these beneficial predators that eat small rodents like mice and rats.
Fairfax County has two species of fox, red and gray, and they are only distantly related. Smaller than many other wild dogs, both weigh only 8-12 pounds and stand just 12-16 inches tall at the shoulders. Foxes eat a wide variety of fruits, insects, small rodents, reptiles, amphibians, the occasional bird and road kill.
- The more commonly seen red fox is often active during the day and lives in a variety of habitats, including field, forest and suburban neighborhoods. Fairfax County’s red foxes are generally larger and have a broader face than gray foxes. Red foxes are usually red, although they can be black or marbled, and have a solid red tail or a white tip to the tail.
- Gray foxes prefer forest habitats and are mostly nocturnal (active at night). Gray foxes are mostly gray and have a black tip to their tail, which is quite luxuriant.
Fox dens are used mostly for raising young. Dens can be a renovated woodchuck burrow, a hollow log or a small cave under rocks or tree trunks. Dens can be found almost anywhere, including on vacant lots, under sheds and in the stream valley parks. Foxes may bark at night in late winter and early spring when attracting mates and preparing to raise young. When not raising young, foxes are solitary and use any convenient cover for shelter.
Foxes in urban areas commonly contract mange, a disease caused by mites that affects the skin and hair. Foxes with mange lose fur, have sores and frequently scratch and bite themselves. Fox mange can be contracted by dogs but generally is not a threat to other pets or humans.
- If foxes are encountered when and where they aren’t wanted, don’t run away. Stand your ground, wave your arms, yell and act threateningly – this should deter future visits.
- Foxes can carry rabies, a deadly virus. If you observe a fox acting aggressively or oddly, do not approach it. Call Fairfax County’s non-emergency response line at 703-691-2131 and ask to have an animal control officer dispatched.
High population densities of any wildlife can help spread disease or illness from one animal to the next. Eliminate food sources from around your house. For example, don’t leave pet food unattended, and feed wild birds in feeders that are elevated and away from a house.