When foxes get pregnant their gestation period is very short. In just a couple of months, the baby foxes are born. We’re going to take a look at a few different fox species and how they handle pregnancy.
Foxes get pregnant in the winter months and their gestation period is around 40-60 days, depending on the type of fox. Once the female fox is pregnant she prepares her maternity den, where she will have the fox babies. Typical litter sizes are 3-5 kits per litter.
Foxes are very good parents and take a lot of time and care to prepare for the baby foxes. Baby foxes are known as kits. See more about baby foxes here.
The exact time when foxes mate and have their babies depends on the estrous cycle of the type of fox. Not all foxes have their kits at the same time of year. For example, arctic foxes do not get their estrous cycle until around April, and they do not have their kits until around August. See more about foxes mating here.
How Many Months is a Fox Pregnant?
Foxes have short gestation periods, which means the female is only pregnant for around 2 months. The length of gestation differs depending on the type of fox and the environment where they live.
Gestation is the amount of time the baby stays inside of the womb, between the time of conception and birth. The average length of human gestation is 280 days, compared with a fox whose gestation is around 50 days on average. This makes the birth period much shorter.
What Time of Year do Foxes Have Babies?
The time of year when a fox has its babies depends on the type of fox and the location where the fox lives. Foxes that live in the most northern parts of the world tend to have their kits later.
The average red fox has its kits in March through May, while arctic foxes have their kits much later, around August. This has to do with when the female fox has its estrous cycle.
How Can you Tell if a Fox is Pregnant?
Foxes are not so different from other canids when it comes to being pregnant. You will know when a female fox is pregnant when she starts to gain some weight (obviously.)
After that, she will start to show her mammary glands. These are the glands in the breasts, that fill with milk. Female foxes have eight teats. They will hang down once the vixen starts lactating. At this point, a pregnant red fox female’s underbelly will turn red, away from its usual white color.
Next, the female will start to look for the maternity den. During this time the female will choose a location where the den can not be easily seen. This is because the vixen is extremely skittish when she has her kits. She wants the den to be safe and in an area where there are fewer threats.
Fennec Fox Pregnancy
Fennec foxes live in warm climates, so they have their babies in the spring, just after the winter months. Their gestation period is around 50 days. Fennec foxes are very small foxes, usually only 2-3 pounds.
Since not much is known about fennec foxes in the wild, we must rely on information gathered by fennec foxes in captivity. They have around 2-4 kits on average, although, you may find they have as many as 6. This is a lower birth rate than other fox species.
Gray Fox Pregnancy
Gray foxes are found mostly in North America. They live in areas that are wooded, or grasslands. Gray foxes tend to breed a few weeks after red foxes, so their babies are born a little later. The gestation period for a gray fox is around 53 days.
Gray fox litters are around 4-5 kits. The female gray fox usually does not make her maternity den in the ground, rather she finds cavities in a tree stump or tree, or a bundle of fallen tree branches to make her den.
Red Fox Gestation Period
The red fox is the most common fox in the world. The gestation period for red foxes is around 52 days on average. After the red fox vixen has found her maternity den, she cozies up and gets ready to have the kits. During this time, the male starts to hunt for both of them, bringing food back to the female in the den. Red foxes have litters of about 5-8 kits.
When the female is pregnant she is very protective, and even the male fox will take extra steps to secure the area, by urinating and marking the area. This lets other animals know, that this is his territory.
Arctic Fox Gestation Period
The gestation period of arctic foxes is around 51-57 days. When the female becomes pregnant she starts to hunt for her maternity den. Sometimes they use dens that are hundreds of years old, to have their babies in. In other cases, they migrate into parts of Canada, where the temperatures are slightly warmer.
Arctic foxes have their kits later in the year than other foxes because they live in the northern hemisphere and the female’s estrous cycle comes later than usual. The babies are born sometime in July through August. Arctic foxes have 8-11 kits, but there have been reports of up to 18 kits in one litter!
Swift Fox Gestation Period
Swift foxes live in North America. They have a gestation period of around 54 days. Like most foxes in North America, they get pregnant in the winter months and have their babies in the springtime.
They give birth to 4-5 kits per litter, however, they can have as many as 8 kits.
Sand Fox Gestation Period
Tibetan sand foxes are perhaps one of the most interesting-looking foxes. They are known for their square-shaped heads. The gestation period for sand foxes is around 50-60 days. They have litters of around 2-4 kits.
The Tibetan sand fox is the most common fox that is called a “sand fox,” however, there are other species called sand foxes, such as the corsac fox and the Rüppell’s fox.
Related Questions
Do foxes have periods?
Foxes do not have periods. Menstrual cycles only happen in primates or higher primates. Foxes have estrous cycles.
What do you Call a Pregnant Fox?
To my knowledge, there is no word or term for a pregnant fox. Female foxes are called vixens and a pregnant fox would be a pregnant vixen.