Why do fox scream

They may make these howling, screeching noises in order to call other foxes, or seek out a mate during the breeding season. Although the noise of a screeching fox may sound like it is in pain, peril or being attacked, it is usually nothing to worry about, and is probably just a fox trying to claim its territory, so other foxes will back off!

One of the more common reasons that foxes may scream is when they are mating, or trying to mate. Whilst male foxes may scream in order to confirm their territory, female foxes, or vixens will also scream during mating, or during the mating season to attract and lure mates. However, during the process of mating, both male and female foxes are known to, well, scream.

The mating process can even sometimes last longer than 20 minutes, in which time the foxes can become entwined together, and will scream repeatedly! For the most part, foxes are nocturnal, meaning that they hunt and are active during the night.

This is why most screaming noises are heard at night, rather than during the day time, although it is not completely uncommon for foxes to be around during the day, or scream during this time. To summarize, most male foxes scream and wail at night mostly to claim their territory and ward off other foxes, whereas female foxes scream in order to attract males during the mating season. In addition to the screeching you may hear regularly at night, foxes will also make incredibly loud and horrifying screeching noises when they mate, that often sounds like a woman being attacked!

Nonetheless, mating is not a painful process for foxes, and they mainly just scream to communicate or mark their territory so other foxes know to stay away from them. Chad Fox is an author and researcher dedicated to bringing reliable information about foxes to the public. If you don't want to wear ear plugs and you are kept awake by foxes, try turning on a light, making a sudden noise or opening the door. Usually these sounds and movements will scare a fox away. Around February Vixens look for a place to have their cubs.

They may enlarge a hole under a shed, dig under tree roots or into compost heaps to create an 'earth'. Overgrown gardens are attractive to vixens looking for a place to have their cubs as they provide shelter and plenty of cover. In August and September there are lots of cubs trying to find food and new territories for themselves. They dig up plant bulbs and create holes in lawns looking for insects to eat. Contrary to normal, the cubs prefer well-maintained gardens, as digging for food is easier and there is more space for play.

Fortunately this damage usually only occurs for a few weeks a year. Blocking off the underside of sheds and removing piles of debris and compost heaps before the breeding season will encourage them to look elsewhere, but be careful never to block a cub in the earth. Careful use of deterrents can protect a garden and cause the foxes to move on. During August and September, when the cubs are preparing to move on, toys, shoes and other items may be removed or damaged. Items made of rubber or leather is especially attractive to foxes.

This is part of the foxes learning process and normally only lasts a few weeks. They are exploring new objects, playing and finding out what's good to eat, make sure these objects are shut away before sunset. Foxes are scavengers and will look for food. Most people will have seen rubbish from refuse bags scattered around their back garden at some point.

Research has shown that the cause of this is more often cats and birds than foxes. However, don't put refuse bags out until the morning of collection unless you keep them in a secure dustbin with a lid. Foxes are not afforded protection from human control measures.

However the law does prevent the use of poisons or illegal traps or snares to control foxes, and it is illegal to shoot them in urban areas such as parks. This is a very subjective term.

Scientific research has shown the fox's reputation as an agricultural pest to be undeserved; they very rarely kill lambs, despite many a tale to the contrary. They will occasionally take hens or domestic ducks from a farmyard, but such losses can be largely avoided by securing the birds safely at night.

In urban areas foxes pose few problems other than being an occasional nuisance; in fact it could be argued that they perform a useful scavenging role by clearing up discarded take-aways at night, as well as keeping mice and rat numbers under control. As with pet dogs, foxes can carry Toxocara canis, parastic roundworm which can be passed to humans.

However infection is extremely rare and only affects around two people per million in the UK each year. All known infections have been transmitted from dogs, and in fact there is no recorded instance of foxes spreading any disease to humans, so basic hygiene precautions should be followed. The fox is no match for most domestic cats and dogs, and it is very rare for a fox to harm them. Young kittens and puppies are more vulnerable so should not be left outside unattended.

Unfortunately foxes will take pet rabbits and guinea pigs if they are given the opportunity. Using strong weld mesh or chain-link wire on hutches and runs will make pets more secure chicken wire is not adequate , and mesh fencing must be buried to a depth of at least 45cm to prevent foxes from burrowing under. Bolts are more secure than hook or twist catches and cannot easily be opened by a fox.

Garden pets should be made secure before sunset. On the plus side, foxes do control mice and rats which are not desirable in or around domestic situations. Foxes naturally eat invertebrates such as worms and insect larvae, which they dig out of the soil. They also dig holes in which to hide larger food items such as small mammals or birds, returning to retrieve them later.

In larger gardens foxes may excavate dens, or earths, in which the vixen raises her family. These typically have one entrance hole up to 30cm in diameter, and active occupation is indicated by a strong musky odour.

The control of foxes by killing or relocating is not recommended in urban areas for a number of reasons. Primarily, fox control is not advisable because it does not reduce the fox population over a prolonged period of time. The empty territory created would soon be occupied by another family of foxes. If foxes are causing a nuisance then the best recommendation is to exclude them from the vicinity where the damage occurs e.

Consider whether they are genuinely causing a nuisance. This sounds somewhere between a short, high-pitched bark and a squeak.

A male fox can also growl at a rival to warn him to keep away, or if he feels threatened. Foxes can also communicate while making no sound. This is when he marks his territory by spraying urine on a tree, or bush, or just a particular part of the area. Both male and female foxes can scream and they do for different reasons. Their screams also sound slightly different from the others. Foxes quite simply scream to communicate. If a male is being aggressive, he may scream to another male to keep away from him, or his mate, or just from his area.

Female foxes can scream at any time, but it is rare that they will make too much noise until it is the mating season. Then, they will scream a lot, because this is the way to attract a mate. The mating season is from winter to very early spring, so expect to hear some screaming during these months. Foxes are mostly nocturnal, which means they come out at night. From when the sun is on the way towards the horizon, you can expect to hear them scream.

This may continue throughout the night, but not for hours at a time. A fox will scream until it has achieved what it wants to, then it will remain silent again. Sometimes foxes are active in the day and you may hear them scream then.