Alaska Nature Photography

Red fox

A mother fox with her adoring kits are shown in this early spring image. In the background can be seen bluebells and rose hip wildflowers. A litter of four kits is common, though a litter of ten is not a rarity. At birth, kits weigh about 4 ounces. Normally only one litter is born each year. The kits' eyes open 8 to 10 days after birth. The young leave the den for the first time a month later. The mother gradually weans them, and by the time the kits are 3 months old, they are learning to hunt. Both parents care for the young. The family unit endures until autumn, when it breaks up and each animal is on its own.

Order # - Fox 28