Just wow! Do you know what the fox can do?

If you like animals, or not, this is going to astonish you!

The fox is now the most widespread of all carnivores. While other wildlife struggles to survive in the shrinking wilderness, the fox adapts and thrives, and how it does so has only recently been revealed.

Foxes come in may shapes and sizes


At least 97% of the photo receptors in their eyes are Rods rather than cones.





Cone cells detect color, whereas rods are more sensitive in low light levels.
Having such a high proportion of rods gives the fox acute night vision.

However, for the fox, the Rod cells serve a completely different purpose during the day!

A Tibetan sand fox sits watching for movement, how it detects movement is the first astonishing thing about the Fox's eyes (but not the MOST astonishing, keep reading).
During the day the Rod cells in the foxes eyes switch from being light sensors and become motion sensors, allowing the fox to see the twitch of a rabbits nose a kilometre away! (Watch out Beezer!)
Because the rods are so densely packed, if anything moves, it will trigger other rods, triggering the fox to lock on to its target.


But it's not just the retina that helps the fox hunt in the day time, the shape of the pupil is also key!
Wolves and dogs have round pupils.




But foxes have vertically slit pupils.



Its always been thought that the slit pupil gave better night vision, but new research now shows the slit actually helps them to hunt during the day time.

Eyes are damaged by ultraviolet light, and the sun emits lots of uv light, so a slit pupil can help reduce the amount of uv that enters the eye, but for the fox it doesn't stop there!

In the pic below the colored rings show the areas of the eyes used to detect different colors.



During daylight round eyes reduce the size of the pupil to restrict the amount of light entering the eyes, but this completely blocks the outer color detectors, this means those colors cant be focused, lowering the image quality.




But when a slit pupil reduces in size, all colors remain in focus because a portion of each color ring is still exposed!



This means that during the daylight the fox can reduce the amount of light entering its eyes, and therefore protect its eyes from uv damage, but still have a high quality image! The result is the ability to hunt at any time of day or night.

Think thats impressive? Well, just wait until you read the following!


Superior eyesight is of no use when prey is hidden beneath the snow, and for this reason the fox has another sense, and its one that no other animal on this earth has harnessed for hunting.

A fox creeps forward listening for the sound of a mouse. But listening isn't all it's doing!!!

In 2010 researchers made an astonishing discovery. They noticed that when foxes do the mouse pounce and dive into the snow, they had a hit rate of just eighteen percent. However, if the fox was facing in a north easterly direction the hit rate rose to a staggering seventy three percent.
Why?
As the fox creeps forward it listens to the sound of the mouse, and as it does so, it waits until the angle of the sound hitting its ears matches the slope of the earths magnetic field. When it does, the fox knows the mouse is a fixed distance away, and it can calculate how far to jump to land right on top of the mouse.

How does the fox detect the earths magnetic field?
IT CAN SEE IT!!!
The foxes eye contains Crypto chrome (spelling?) which is sensitive to magnetism.

I can't help but wonder what the world looks like through the eyes of a fox. I always knew they were astonishing creatures, they are extremely intelligent, able to see clearly at night, and now we learn they use and can see magnetism!
Just wow!

ETA: Thanks to Trueman and his THREAD which reminded me to post this.


ETA2: Should also mention the source, a BBC4 documentary.

a reply to: VoidHawk

Amazing, but how well do they drive.

I find this so cool I may never hunt a fox again…well except around the hen house lol. Seriously though that is some amazing stuff right there. I only wish I could have some implanted

a reply to: VoidHawk

Fascinating details about foxes. Worth anybody's time. 'Tops off my early evening respite in the yard looking with binocs at four baby crows high in a pine tree. I have always hated crows, far more intelligent than me. These four waiting for mama to come feed, had huge mouths that were as red as a male cardinal bird. 'Don't hate them so much now, those little birds. Nor the foxes I used to hunt either.

(Sorry, but ATS has been weak for several days now, and we need to smile and make some 'warm fuzzies' in the meantime.)

Foxes are amazing survivors.
I have seen them in the middle of the desert in Utah where you wouldn't imagine anything could live.
There is no water for many miles.

originally posted by: RickyD
I find this so cool I may never hunt a fox again

I went out with my brother inlaw one day to shoot a fox that was stealing his baby geese. Seeing the fox when it was dead completly changed my view of killing wild animals. He saw a fox - a thief, all I could see was a dead dog, and I love dogs. Went home miserable that day.

I love foxes.

But they're a terrible pest in Australia.

I'd like to say it was ignorance of the 19th century that brought them here, but they were introduced in Tasmania just 15-20 years ago.

originally posted by: interupt42
a reply to: VoidHawk

Amazing, but how well do they drive.

Foxes have gone green, so they gave up driving

a reply to: VoidHawk

We have a lovely ranch here with sheep, chickens, doves...and yes, foxes. Oh, the foxes are not intentional, by no means. Pretty much where you have chickens...you have foxes. So, after intense research, we found a sure fire way to rid our lives of those pesky, thieving, varmints.

Patterdale Terriors! We have two, male and female, but very soon (like in 3 weeks) we will have a few more. These dogs are from Northern England and bred specifically for hunting. They will not be gentle with the prey.

Patterdales look like black lab "forever puppies" and because of their size, could be considered "toys". But they have a set of choppers that rival a Mastiff! Most people have never seen a Patterdale or have always thought they were just black lab pups. But they are wonderful, loving, protective, mindful, super fast, smart, fox (gopher and lizard) hunting dogs.

If you are interested in learning more about the Patterdales and how they are bred specifically for rid-a-fox, please click on the link below.

Patterdale Terriers

a reply to: VoidHawk

Yea I think the line between thief and beautiful creature just got a lot clearer. I mean if it's causing problems it's a pest but if I had no reason I sure wouldn't shoot one now.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
I love foxes.

But they're a terrible pest in Australia.

I'd like to say it was ignorance of the 19th century that brought them here, but they were introduced in Tasmania just 15-20 years ago.

According to what they show on the british tv's I thought you aussies had a real problem with rabbits? If so shouldn't the fox be your friend?

originally posted by: Ultralight
a reply to: VoidHawk

We have a lovely ranch here with sheep, chickens, doves...and yes, foxes. Oh, the foxes are not intentional, by no means. Pretty much where you have chickens...you have foxes. So, after intense research, we found a sure fire way to rid our lives of those pesky, thieving, varmints.

Patterdale Terriors! We have two, male and female, but very soon (like in 3 weeks) we will have a few more. These dogs are from Northern England and bred specifically for hunting. They will not be gentle with the prey.

Patterdales look like black lab "forever puppies" and because of their size, could be considered "toys". But they have a set of choppers that rival a Mastiff! Most people have never seen a Patterdale or have always thought they were just black lab pups. But they are wonderful, loving, protective, mindful, super fast, smart, fox (gopher and lizard) hunting dogs.

If you are interested in learning more about the Patterdales and how they are bred specifically for rid-a-fox, please click on the link below.

Patterdale Terriers

I know about those, and I saw the just the feet of one ejected from a badgers set, so they're not as efficient as you seem to think.

Fascinating and informative thread! Foxes are so beautiful!!!!!

a reply to: VoidHawk

Obviously not a pure bred. Mine could take down a wild boar.

a reply to: Night Star

As are baby lambs, minutes old...just learning to walk on those wobbly legs. Then, in the dark of night, come the predator fox. Hopefully the ewes are quicker.

If you have every witnessed their carnage, you would think less of how beautiful they are. Chickens don't stand a chance.

a reply to: VoidHawk

Rabbits are a problem too, and camels, goats, buffalo, feral cats and dogs..

Apparently rabbit infestation goes hand in hand with fox prevalence.

Nice thread. Great Info. The more we learn of the creatures that share this planet with us the more amazed and intrigued I get about learning more about them.

Over the years I've learned that prairie dogs have an actual language, crows have incredible intelligence on par to that of a toddler, turtles have a special ability to see reflections off bodies of water from miles away giving them the ability to find water sources from great distances and best of all are the strange animal companions that find and aid each other. Now I get to add foxes to the list of cool animals that are much more than they appear to be

Hopefully we will get a chance to know more about our animal friends before we destroy our shared world with them in our pursuit of turning men in to gods.

a reply to: RickyD

I grew up on a ranch very close to where I now live. I realize how furry and gentle the foxes look as they walk softly...kinda like a cross between a feral long haired cat and a small coyote. Their cries are more like screeches, and that's only when they are simply calling out to the others in their den after finding a meal.

I state categorically though, if I did not live the ranchers lifestyle, I would leave them be. In these times, you gotta raise and grow your own food as best you can, when you can...

a reply to: Chadwickus

Here, in my part of Ca, we have weasel, fox, chicken hawks, and gophers as problem (not necessarily in that order).

a reply to: mOjOm
So much to learn, so little time.

And in the uk we got the scumbag caMORON who wants to bring back fox hunting.