Foxes are cute, medium-sized animals with pointed snouts and upright, bushy tails. But although they look cuddly and cute, foxes are intelligent predators that use intelligent tactics to outdo their prey and hunt for food.
No wonder people use the simile’ sly as a fox’ because these animals are tricky, cunning, clever, and very artful. This is why foxes are talented predators and successfully survive in different habitats such as cities, towns, and rural areas.
If you wonder what foxes eat, here is a look at the animals that foxes eat and whether they eat squirrels.
What Do Foxes Eat?
Foxes are expert hunters, so they can hunt various animals, from rodents, rabbits, frogs, chickens, and carrion to earthworms. They have a diverse diet as they can prey on many animal breeds and animal flesh, but they are not carnivorous.
Foxes are omnivores because they can still eat different berries, fruits, vegetables, and even seeds. Therefore, these cunning animals are very adaptable and versatile.
They can conveniently adjust their diet based on the available food, so they adapt and survive in most weather conditions.
Depending on the weather and environment, foxes can eat different types of food. For example, foxes can eat fruits, acorns, apples, and bellies during fall and then opt for mice, rodents, frogs, insects, caterpillars, and small mammals in the summer.
During spring, foxes can survive on fish, worms, bird eggs, etc. Foxes can even survive in urban areas scavenging for food remains.
Do Foxes Eat Squirrels?
Being omnivores, foxes will eat anything available. They will hunt, kill and eat a range of small mammals, including squirrels. Most foxes, including red and Arctic foxes, are mammalian predators.
This means that they can eat different types of small prey, including all squirrel types. This is significantly attributed to the fact that foxes mostly live in rural areas a d places with wetland, farmland, or woodland where they can conveniently hunt for food.
Generally, foxes are omnivores and will eat anything that comes onto their paws. This means that foxes will eat squirrels and other small animals such as mice, rabbits, birds, voles, chipmunks, amphibians, and reptiles.
Gray foxes have even the ability to ascend trees to hunt their prey; hence squirrels are not excepted to the prey list of foxes. Also, red and arctic foxes like hunting arctic ground squirrels.
Why Do Foxes Prey on Squirrels?
Now that you know foxes eat squirrels, you might probably wonder why foxes love eating squirrels. The major motive behind foxes preying on squirrels is that they provide a prey of ideal size that foxes can readily catch.
As earlier stated, foxes are omnivores, scavengers, and opportunistic eaters, meaning they will eat anything they will catch for survival. Because squirrels are smaller than foxes and mostly live in the same habitat as foxes, they are the natural prey of the cunning and wily fox.
How Do Foxes Hunt Squirrels?
Foxes are cunning in nature but also very patient. They usually hunt by stalking the target prey while waiting for the appropriate time to strike. They have a tremendous pouncing technique and excellent hunting skills that help them hunt and catch squirrels.
In the incident when a fox spots a squirrel, it uses the strategy of seeming unbothered as they gain distance toward the unsuspicious squirrel. It then attacks the squirrel immediately and loses focus.
However, the fox might prefer to leave the squirrel alone if the squirrel is entirely aware of its presence and is fully alert. When the squirrel is conscious of the existence of the fox, it’s less probable that the fox will catch it.
Do foxes eat squirrels: Bottom Line
Generally, foxes are omnivores but not carnivores. To survive, they eat almost everything, including small mammals, fruits, and berries.
Because squirrels are in the category of small mammals, they make up a natural food for the fox.
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