What Does a Fox Eat?

From small mammals to big game, the list of animals they eat is long. Foxes have an omnivorous diet that consists of rodents, birds, eggs, fish, amphibians, carrion and even invertebrates. Foxes are also known to eat fruits, nuts and berries. They are capable of eating insects when these are available.

The sweet spots of a fox’s diet are rodents and birds. Usually, however, they eat both foods at the same time so as to satisfy their nutritional needs best. Foxes will also gather eggs from nests if it is not possible for them to capture any prey because hunting sometimes does not work out for them. However, in most instances, they will simply find food in places where it is available and survival is the only criteria that take precedence over nutritional needs anyway.

Fox Diet

Fox diet in Winter

Seasonal foods determine the starting point of foxes. Some eat various berries at different times each year while others are unable to forage during winter, lacking the heat tolerance needed to do so. The main sources of nutrition in this season are nuts where they lay eggs or rodents & birds who are unable to withstand their harsh environment.

Fox diet in Spring

Like during other seasons, foxes are also nourished by berries, which are usually plentiful. However flowers may still be eaten however its amounts decrease the more abundant food items are available. They go to great lengths for this although fruit is another important element of their diet at this time because they eat fruits they obtain from tree branches and bushes. They will also forage for locusts, grasshoppers and sometimes even frogs when available due to the unavailability of most other foods in this season.

Side view of a Wild young red fox (vulpes vulpes) vixen posing in a forestat Fall season.

Fox diet in Summer

As always during summer seasons, foxes prey on many other animals. However, because the rodent population has decreased so much to an acceptable level for them, foxes will simply eat fruit and seeds from bushes in hopes of filling their nutritional needs at this season.

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) eating chicken. Wild life animal.

Fox diet in Autumn

In Autumn seasons, foxes feed mainly on berries and seeds. Above ground sources of food such as nuts & fruits which became unprofitable would help keep their nutritional needs satisfied during this season since there is a high enough population for them to go on eating whatever they can get.

Fox diet in Fall

In Fall, seasonal foods such as berries and seeds still supply enough nutrition for them to last longer. However the impacts of right time consumption vary greatly due to weather conditions each season may have a different food source available depending on how much precipitation is present at this period. Harvesting mushrooms are also considered to be a Fox food for this season because of its high quantity.

A family of fox cubs exploring a garden

What can I feed foxes in my garden?

Some gardeners feed their foxes food scraps, such as fruit and vegetables. Others, like those who provide them with a diet of commercial dog food, might choose to do this. But most foxes are omnivorous and will eat anything they come across. They may also drag in any animal they come across that has died unattended. They are opportunistic hunters, so whatever food is easiest to get will be their main diet source throughout the summer and fall.

Foxes in My Garden what can I use to attract them?

There are many things you can do to attract foxes to your garden. One is to provide a diverse habitat by growing a variety of plants. Another option is creating a food source that the animals need, such as setting out bird feeders or leaving some fresh meat scraps from last night’s dinner. There are few places where feeding the foxes in your garden is more important than when you find kits

Nonetheless, Foxes might be attracted to anything that seems familiar and comforting, such as a cat grooming post or an old human’s favorite comfy chair inside a shed. However if this type of positive attention is not visually maintained, it is probably more likely that they will result in an aggressive encounter the following night if another fox answers your call back. It is vital to monitor which animals are visiting what areas every day throughout the entire summer.

Is there anything I can do to keep foxes out of my garden?

Foxes are opportunistic omnivores, who feed on whatever they can get their paws or teeth around. They will come in when the little ones are already there to enjoy the soft still warm bodies beneath the leaves! Most people want to catch these animals in traps, but if your garden is in a rural area near farm fields foxes are not generally feeling the threat of possible cage capture. Fox hunting can be done with an army jeep or quad bike riding at full force to catch the object that you have suspected has been doing damage to your plants.

What is a fox’s favorite food?

The fox’s favorite food is chicken. Foxes especially like to catch and kill chickens whenever they see them. They also love eggs and will almost always try to sneak into the hen house. It is not easy for a fox since farm animals instinctively avoid fox encounters at all costs, so they cannot take advantage of their safest food source – chicken ! The most difficult game for foxes to win is that of cage or pen capture. They are tricky and clever, some may even try to trick you into trying to catch them with a bite!

Rural vs Urban Fox Diets

Rural foxes eat a diet consisting of mostly fish, small mammals and birds. On the other hand, urban foxes generally eat human-related foods such as carrion, garbage and scraps. Foxes and Rodents. Fox keepers often use rodent replacement foods such as Rodent Block, Rodent Options or Goldfish Scraps to encourage urban foxes to return. However, this technique will not work long term without regular toilet training (cleaning up droppings).

The reason for this is that the fox will always be tempted to keep finding ways to get at these foods. Foxes in captivity must not rely on supplemental feeding and should only feed them when hungry and healthy, otherwise, they may develop obesity which can quickly increase their rate of death.