The body of a fox is build to offer it strength and speed. They are very slender animals with a long nose and pointed ears. Looking at these canines you wouldn’t expect them to have such characteristics. They have thin legs that are very strong and that can move quickly. The padding on the bottom of their feet allow them to cover any type of terrain without difficulty.
They are able to move at a speed of up to 23 miles per hour. They are very graceful in their movements and can stay at a top speed longer than their prey and most of their predators. This element of speed is key to their overall survival. The strength develops when they are young as they spend time chasing each other round and playing games such as tug of war.
They have a coloring that varies with shades of red and brown. They are also white along the face and belly regions. Some species of fox also have black areas on their bodies. Many species have a long bushy tail. It isn’t used for balance as many people assume. There are scent glands found here that they use to mark territory and for interactions with each other.
ANIMAL COMMUNICATION
Foxes are mostly silent animals but this does not mean they do not have a broad repertoire of sounds. A wide range of calls is used from cubs' small barks asking for their mother's attention, to warning calls, to barks and screams performed to locate another fox or a mate.
Calls are made all year around but most people hear foxes calling in winter, perhaps because there is less vegetation to muffle the sound.
Urine and faeces are used to communicate to other group members and to neighbouring foxes. For example, urine is used to mark their home range (the space where an animal lives) and both urine and faeces are used to signal some specific state, such as when females are fertile. The use of smell to communicate information to other animals is called scent marking. Faeces in particular are placed in conspicuous spots where they can easily be found by other foxes, such as on objects, paths, gates or even on food remains.
Foxes also possess various scent glands on their tail, faces, foot pads and just inside their anus. They can either rub themselves or expel the contents of the glands against some objects. They also use their saliva to mark objects, particularly vegetation.
