The young go out on their own in late summer. The pups first start to leave the den to explore when they are a month old. The male delivers food to his family during this period. Newborn foxes are blind until 9 days old and are constantly attended by the female until several weeks old. Litters may range from one to 12, but five or six is average. One litter is born each year in March or April, 51 days after mating. Foxes may switch dens periodically while pups are young. Dens are generally well-drained and usually have at least two entrances. The den selected for pup raising may be located in the open or in woods.
Red foxes seldom use dens except for rearing young. They adapt well to human environments including agricultural lands and urban areas. Old fields, pastures, brush land, farmland and other lightly-forested areas are often preferred. Red foxes prefer a mix of habitat such as edges with mixed scrub and woodlands. The average adult weighs 8 to 14 pounds, but can range from 6.5 to 20 lbs.The long guard hairs of their pelt cause them to appear larger than they are.These variations are silver (black fur with white hairs sprinkled among the black), cross (a portion of the fur is grayish or black and a portion of the pelt is red, and the black fur runs across the shoulders and along the back forming a cross when seen from above), and black (all fur is black this is also known as the melanistic phase). Other color phases occur, but they are not common.It has a pointed muzzle, prominent ears and a long, bushy tail tipped in white.The lower legs and backs of the ears are generally black. The red fox is red to yellow with a white underside, throat and inner ears.They are now a common and charismatic member of Indiana’s wildlife community and are found in a variety of habitats, including in urban areas. Red foxes likely moved into Indiana with European settlers, possibly in the mid-1800s.
Records suggest that in much of the U.S., red foxes were introduced from Europe and expanded throughout the country. The red fox ( Vulpes vulpes) is likely not native to Indiana.