Fox Cubs

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Throughout the summer three of the fox cubs have been regularly seen outside the earth, allowing us to follow their development. It’s been interesting over this period to observe their individual characteristics as they grow. 

Three Cubs outside our local earth

The Three Amigos outside our local earth.

From the outset one of the three was becoming the dominant individual. Often both initiating the sparring and winning the contests.   However looking for physical characteristics to tell them apart was a real challenge.  After several weeks of photographing the group and carefully looking through the image,. It became apparent that the dominant individual had what at first looked like a black marking on its right ear, A closer look revealed that its actually a nick in the ear possibly the result of some early scraps with its siblings.One of the other cubs appeared to have a very timid nature and also a much paler coloured coat. 

The dominant fox cub

The dominant fox cub of the three showing the black mark on the left ear.

As well as observing the cubs on the common at least one of them was regularly visiting the garden in the early hours of the morning. Along with occasional visits from a sow badger from the nearby sett. For most of the summer our nightly visitor appeared to be quite a bold individual. Happily  roaming around the garden and coming up to the house. Recently however this individual has been replaced with a more cautious individual only prepared to venture to the hole in the hedge, possibly the more timid member of the trio.

One of the three cubs feeding on peanuts near the house

Fox Cub. on guard

Fox Cub. on guard watching the cows
Portrait of the dominant cub

Portrait of the dominant fox cub
Young fox

The paler of the three fox cubs
V. vulpes cub

The third of The Three Amigos
Fox portrait

Fox cub portrait

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