REYNARD, the fox, figures prominently in the legends and folklore of Europe and is especially lauded for its cunning in Aesop’s Fables. The fox (Vulpes vulpes) belongs to the family of wild dogs in which wolves, coyotes, jackals, hyenas and all domestic canines are closely related. The common red fox is widely distributed all over Europe, Asia and the North American continent, and was brought to Australia from England to provide sport for the colony’s early landowners.
The fox is not a large animal and, once its pelt of thick fur is peeled off, is about the size of a large hare. The fox’s eating habits show us it has a varied menu, that it is extremely catholic in its tastes. Foxes are considered carnivorous, but they are not strictly so. It is well known that they will take the odd lamb and raid the odd hen roost, which makes them unpopular with farmers and graziers.
Examination of the stomach contents of
