Red Fox Reading
The fox is one of the most widely written about mammals. If you want to learn all there is to know about foxes, you will certainly have no problem finding the material to study. Here we present you with a recommended starting point. By Peter Akokan.
Wild Fox by Roger Burrows (David & Charles 1968)
This book is a must for all foxwatching beginners. It is about an amazing study that took place in the 1960s by one man who used no special equipment and most of his study was made by direct observation.
The author outlines his own experiences with wild foxes in a very simple and down to earth fashion.
He describes what he experienced through each month of the year for three years in a small area called Kents Green in Glousteshire.
It gave me an enormous head start when I first started trying to get closer to these animals and I can guarantee that anybody who reads it shall get much closer to foxes in the wild. The book not only clearly says how to find foxes but also explains the best time of year and time of day to wait and watch, whether watching an earth or a fox's regular trail. There are also some very interesting black and white photos and diagrams/tables. This is the first book I ever purchased on the fox, I treasure it and wouldn't give it away for anything.
Running with the Fox by David MacDonald (Unwin Hyman 1987)
Dr David MacDonald is a scientist specialising in carnivores as well as the rest of the mammal species.
He graduated from Oxford as a young man with a degree in zoology and has studied red foxes intensely - mostly in the Oxfordshire area - for the fifteen years since then.
He discovered and unearthed many unknown facts about the life of the red fox.
Using sophisticated equipment he radio-tracked and watched foxes in the darkness. Then by watching groups of foxes in captivity he came to the conclusion that the red fox is in fact a highly social creature and is not a lonely, solitary, cold-blooded animal.
The book really brings you closer to the mind and heart of the fox, not only is it very educational but it also has a storyline about the author's life with foxes and the ups and downs of being a foxologist. There is so much knowledge to be gained from this book as well as entertainment. The book won the 'Natural History Book of The Year' award and includes superb illustrations as well as many colour and black and white photos. There is also a section on rearing orphaned foxes and the best methods for rehabilitation.
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| The red fox - one of the most widely written about mammals. |
The Red Fox by H.G Lloyd (Batsford London 1980)
An in depth scientific study made during the Seventies in mid-Wales. The author gives his own experience with the fox as well as his point of view as a pest controller and also views on foxes being left uncontrolled.
Studies on foxes in other parts of Britain as well as Europe and America are also included as well as many different personal experiences of the author make good reading. Includes black and white photos as well as tables and diagrams.
Red Fox - The Cat Like Canine (1986)
A very detailed study of the biology and behaviour of red foxes in a Canadian national park. The author pays attention to much detail that would otherwise be ignored by authors of other red fox books. Colour and black and white photos.
Fox Family by Minuro Takutatzu (1975)
Minuro Takutatzu, a Japanese vet, spent 12 years photographing a family of red foxes and the whole book is illustrated with these splendid photos as well as his knowledge and views on the future of the red fox.
A video also accompanies this book but the two are not on sale together. The author has a real love of the red fox and its wellbeing in the wild.
Town Fox, Country Fox by Brian Vesey Fitzgerald
A beautifully written book about the author's personal observations on urban foxes in the London suburbs during the 1950s.
There are many interesting points on fox hunting and the rural fox. There is no complicated scientific stuff and there is much serious and realistic information written in an easy, laid back manner.
In fact the author has hardly gone out of his way to study the animal and any observations were made from the comfort of his home looking out the window into his back garden. Interesting black and white photos and diagrams.
Urban Foxes by Stephen Harris (Whittet Books 1986)
Written in an interesting and a humorous way, this book outlines the amazing events that have taken place in the life of urban foxes.
Stephen Harris has studied the urban foxes for many years and was involved in the making of the BBC film 20th Century Fox during the 1970s which was about the urban foxes of Bristol. He also was involved in the live broadcasting of a fox family under a garden shed in the early 1980s. Brilliant drawings and other illustrations but no photos.
Country Foxes by Hugh Kolbe (Whittet Books 1996)
The history and present status of the fox in British society as well as the results from years of scientific research in East Scotland.
Many tables and diagrams but no photos. Pretty much gives the epilogue of the red fox in Britain after all the years of studying by different scientists and naturalists. It's almost as if it presents itself as the last book to be written about the red fox in the British Isles.
Watching Foxes in the Shadow of the Fox by Martin Hemminton (Whittet Books 1997)
Excellent and simple instructions on how to study and observe foxes in the wild, whether urban or rural. There are many detailed diagrams and photographs of fox behaviour.
The author of this book also runs the 'National Fox Welfare Society' in Britain and is easy to contact for advice.
The society's address and telephone number are given in the book and having met and watched foxes with Martin, I can tell that he is truly a professional with years of experience and first hand knowledge of the fox. Black and white photos, drawings and diagrams.
City Foxes by Wendy Shattel
An American book written by an American author about urban and city foxes in the States. Many brilliant action photos in colour and details of her own experiences of how she captured the images.
