We are aware that foxes are exceptionally expressive animals, but why do foxes have tails? They can convey a wide range of feelings by their movements, vocalizations, and scent stations. Foxes are able to communicate their feelings through these means.
Why do foxes have tails? well, let us now find out!
Are Fox Tails Sensitive?
The tails of foxes are also highly sensitive indicators of the animal’s general condition of health. The tail of an unhealthy fox, or one that is generally under a lot of stress, will have less of a bushy appearance, whereas the tails of healthy foxes will be full and lovely.
Foxes’ tails are delicate, sure. Foxes, like dogs and cats, have nerves in their tails, which means that they can feel with their tails. Foxes can also feel with their ears.
Why Do Foxes Have Tails?
-
For Balance:
Foxes will make use of their tails as a means of maintaining their balance, particularly when jumping from one elevated location to a lower one, or when walking on anything that is thin or slippery.
They can either keep their pace while jumping down, which helps them climb up, or slow themselves down while jumping down, which helps them climb up.
As with cats, foxes can use their tails to rotate themselves; therefore, when they jump or fall from greater heights, it is important to ensure that they land in the correct position.
-
For the Purpose of Communication:
The primary ways in which foxes communicate with one another are through their body language and the scents they leave behind, but their tails also contribute to this process.
When foxes are young, they utilize their tails to show affection and playfulness; for example, if their mother is chasing after them, the young foxes will often pause and glance back at their mother with their tails wagging to let their mother know that they are having fun.
Read also: Do Foxes Hibernate?
Why Do Foxes Have Bushy Tails?
Foxes keep their bodies warm throughout the colder months of the year by using their tails. Some foxes will curl up with a portion of their tail tucked below them as an additional layer of insulation when the weather is really cold.
They can either curl up into a ball and use their tail as a blanket to keep themselves warm, or they can lay on top of one another and use the fluffy fur of each animal as a sort of blanket. When it’s hot outside and they need a way to cool down, foxes will use their tails as blankets.
This behavior is common during the summer months. This way, not only are they able to maintain a cool body temperature, but that bushy coat is also preventing any annoying sunlight from excessively warming the environment.
How Do Foxes Communicate With Their Tails (Wild Foxes)?
People can utilize their tails as a signal to warn others about potential threats. When a fox is at a more elevated position, it is better able to notice potential threats from a greater distance. The fox can signal to the other members of the group that there are potential threats up ahead by lifting its tail.
Foxes are able to communicate with one another and let them know if they have located food. They will, on multiple occasions, raise their tail in an attempt to attract the attention of others.
The movement of a fox’s tail conveys a great deal of information and can take on a variety of forms, depending on the animal’s mood. They have the ability to raise and drop their tails, which allows them to communicate with other members of the group about what is happening in their surroundings.
In addition to using their tails, foxes are also known to communicate with other members of their species via various methods. The fox may use a patch on its tail known as the “violet gland” to release a flowery odor, which it can use to identify its territory. The fox can use this odor to communicate with other foxes.
Read also: Do Dogs Get Tired of Barking?
How Do Pet Foxes Use their Tails?
-
To Show Excitement:
The foxes that were used in that experiment could be seen wagging their tails enthusiastically whenever their human caretakers got close to them.
This behavior was detected as early as the sixth generation of foxes that were selected from the initial wild foxes that displayed tameness. Kits, or young foxes, will display this behavior, despite the fact that adults in the wild do not normally exhibit it.
-
To Show Affection:
In the Russian endeavor to develop domesticated silver wolves by selective breeding, the foxes in later generations demonstrated their appreciation for human caretakers through a number of different behaviors.
They also petted and lifted them up after licking the trainers’ hands and interacting with them in other ways. There have been reports of people seeing foxes show affection for one another by performing a kind of play bow while their tails were wagging.
Tip-Off: How Else Do Foxes Communicate?
Vocal Communication:
Foxes are able to interact with one another within their social group by using a variety of vocalizations in addition to their body language.
When they are upset or trying to drive anything away from their territory, they can communicate with one another by growling, yelping, or making short yapping barks.
Urination:
Foxes utilize their keen sense of smell to investigate their surroundings by sniffing around for odors. Foxes leave scent markings on their territory to warn other foxes that they should stay away from the area.
This is accomplished through the use of “scent stations,” in which they urinate. Because of this, you might catch a glimpse of a fox poking its nose up into the air as it sniffs the air, looking for a specific odor carried on the breeze.
They do this because they are aware that certain odors may include information about new threats or predators in the region, as well as new sources of food or even directions to a territory that will be good for them to reside in.
Thanks for reading!
About The Author
