Alabama is home to over 4,500 amazing animal species, including foxes. You’ll find them roaming the wild landscape and sometimes sneaking into neighborhoods. These bushy-tailed creatures help balance the prey population and disperse seeds with their droppings. However, they also have a reputation for targeting livestock and small pets.
What fox species live in Alabama, and where can you find them? Follow along as we uncover everything you need to know about foxes in Alabama.
What Types of Foxes Live in Alabama?
Gray foxes live throughout southern Canada, with a range extending all the way to northern Venezuela.
©Danita Delimont/Shutterstock.com
The red and gray fox are the only two fox species that occur throughout the state.
Red foxes inhabit places throughout Alabama. However, harvest records suggest red foxes have the greatest population in the state’s northern half. Gray foxes don’t seem to have a preference. They occur equally throughout the entire state of Alabama.
Alabama isn’t the only place you’ll find the endearing gray fox. This species also lives throughout southern Canada, with a range extending all the way to northern Venezuela. Red foxes live throughout North America, northern Africa, Europe, and temperate Asia.
Are Foxes Native Species?
Gray foxes are native to North America, but it’s unclear if red foxes can make the same claim. Some research shows that red foxes are a hybrid between native fox species and the European red fox. But it’s also possible that red foxes have always been around.
Are Foxes Common?
The red fox has pointed ears, a thick bushy tail, and a thick fur coat.
©Jackie Connelly-Fornuff/Shutterstock.com
Foxes are common in Alabama, with red foxes being more common than gray foxes. However, sometimes people get the two species confused. It’s an easy mistake to make if you don’t know what to look for.
Identifying Foxes
You can distinguish a gray fox from a red fox by looking at the fur coats and body shape. Red foxes have a more dog-like appearance. They have pointed ears, thick bushy tails, and thick fur coats. Gray foxes are furry but not as bushy as red foxes. Their coats are peppered gray and have hints of red on their neck and sides.
Where Are You Most Likely to See Foxes?
Gray and red foxes live throughout the state of Alabama, but where exactly can you see them? If you want to spot one of these canines in the wild, head to the woods. Both fox species enjoy the woodland cover, and gray foxes are particularly fond of thickets and swampland.
You can find gray and red foxes living throughout urban and suburban areas. They’ll make a home if there is suitable cover. However, out of the two species, the red fox is more adaptable. They’ve established breeding populations in some urban areas and are commonly sighted in backyards.
On the other hand, gray foxes tend to stick to agricultural landscapes. You can find gray foxes in their natural woodland habitats or interspersed amid farmlands.
What Is the Fox’s Legal Status?
Foxes are game animals in Alabama, and there isn’t any closed season. You can hunt foxes year-round, as long as you follow the state’s specific trapping and hunting laws. For instance, trapping is only available to licensed catchers. And hunting foxes during nighttime hours is only permissible with dogs.
Human-Fox Conflicts in Alabama
Alabama residents aren’t always happy to see a bushy-tailed fox running through the neighborhood. Sometimes sharing spaces with these critters can lead to serious issues with pets and property. Red foxes are usually the ones to cause human-wildlife conflicts. However, sometimes gray foxes are guilty too.
Both species are excellent opportunistic hunters. They won’t think twice about targeting livestock or small pets. Geese, turkeys, ducks, cats, and small dogs, are all on the menu for gray and red foxes. After making a kill, the fox will carry the animal to their den and bury the leftovers for later.
Alabama residents also have to consider the structural destruction foxes can cause. If one of these creatures starts digging for prey in your backyard, it can cause significant damage. They’ll destroy your garden, dig holes underneath your shed, burrow underneath the house, and dig through leftover garbage.
Foxes are great at digging, and they make really big holes. So, if one of the holes is beneath a shed or a deck, they can compromise the site’s structural integrity.
Another issue is that foxes make dens underneath homes, and these dens put off a strong odor. If you notice a musty animal smell by your house, a fox may be denning there.
Cases of Rabid Foxes
Healthy foxes don’t attack people, but rabid foxes will. Rabies is most commonly found in raccoons, but the virus can be transmitted to foxes. Once a fox has rabies, it can transmit the virus to people or other animals.
One incident with a rabid fox took place while a man was walking his dog. A rabid fox in Prattville, Alabama bit the resident and the dog. Authorities captured the fox and confirmed that it had rabies. The victim immediately began rabies treatment, and the dog received a rabies booster.
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