Red fox mother kissing her baby in Canada

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Kits and kisses. Red fox mother kissing her baby

Amidst the whispering woods and rustling leaves, you might catch a glimpse of the red fox—a creature as clever as it is charming. What truly captivates are moments like the one in today's image, which shows a tender nuzzle between a red fox mother and her kit somewhere in the Canadian countryside. With its vivid auburn coat and a bushy tail often tipped in white, this animal is a familiar sight across much of the Northern Hemisphere. Agile, adaptable and mostly nocturnal, it roams from dense forests to urban playgrounds.

At dusk, the red fox sets out on solitary hunts, producing 12 different ranges of vocalisations, from sharp barks to eerie howls. It deftly pursues a diet of rodents, birds and even fruits. An aspect of its interaction is the 'gekkering' it exhibits, a chatter-like sound used mostly in aggressive encounters. Its communication extends beyond sound; the red fox's tail serves as a signal flag to convey different messages to other foxes. It's a subtle and skilfully nuanced language that echoes through the wild.