Foxes are winter active and non-migratory. Courtship begins soon, so start watching for mating foxes. You may just have an opportunity to observe them romping, playing and chasing each other!
Missouri is home to both the red fox and the gray fox. Both are common throughout the state.
Red foxes are identified by their golden red coat and white tip on the tail
Gray foxes are identified by their grayish coat and black tip on the tail.
Both prey mostly on small mammals like rodents, rabbits, and squirrels, but also grasshoppers, fruit, and some birds.
Foxes can weigh from 5 to 15 pounds, and live from 6 to 9 years in the wild.
Foxes are nocturnal, but can be seen in the day.
They spend up to 35 percent of their time hunting for food, and can trot from 4 to 8 miles per hour.
Foxes hunt even when they are full, and cache food in shallow holes.
Observing a fox while hunting can be very exciting: once they locate prey, they crouch and pounce up to 16 feet.
Members Ashleigh Long (poem), Becky Wylie (photos) and Ann Butts (facts) contributed to this article.