Field Mouse
As an opportunistic omnivore, the key to fox diet is variety. Local plants that produce fruit are always a favorite, as well as large insects, especially beatles and grubs. Other staples include small mammals, such as mice, shrews, and voles. Less frequently, birds, eggs and small rabbits also end up on the menu.

Capturing prey requires a combination of sharp senses, instinct and experience. Keeping the nose low to the ground, and ears erect, a fox prefers to search through "edge" territory, where forest and field habitats overlap. There, many opportunities exist to pounce a meal. Foxes are also keen scavengers. In the wild, they might sneak off with the remains of a fish caught by an eagle, or be bold enough to steal scraps from a wolf or polar bear. They also find new opportunities around human dwellings.

Red foxes do not prey on domestic cats or dogs. Being cat-like, the only livestock considered an option are un-protected chickens.

Friend or Foe?

Urban sprawl has pushed people into increasingly closer contact with foxes. Fields that once supplied berries, mice, and insects are now paved for parking lots. In these places, foxes have adapted to forage through trash bins, eat rats beneath bushes, and bugs around porch lights.

You can help supplement fox diets with cooked food, fruits, nuts, seed, crackers, breads, and pet foods. They'll also enjoy any rats or gophers around your house, so remove any poisons.

Never feed wild animals by hand or enough to replace their natural diets, and like most animals, they cannot eat chocolate.

Checking a food stash

Foxes save leftovers for a "rainy day" by covering them with grass, burying them, or otherwise hiding them from other animals. This survival technique, called caching, is critical during winter.

Sometimes those caches are sometimes discovered by other animals, so foxes must make an effort to spread them out, check them frequently, and camoflauge them well. The success of keeping caches secret can be the difference between living comfortably, or suffering from hunger.

With such a variety of skills, and a diverse appetite, the red fox proves to be a highly adaptable omnivore.