Foxed

[altivo]

Coming home from the supermarket, just after dusk, a red fox ran across the road in front of my car. Fortunately, we hadn't yet started getting any of the snow predicted for the overnight hours. The pavement was dry, and I was able to brake without losing control or skidding. The fox was carrying some sort of prey animal, though I'm not sure what

Comments

[avon_deer]

I need to go in on Christmas Eve, but I do get Boxing Day off. I think the prey you have seen with the fox might have been a stoat (if you get those where you are.)

[altivo]

I don't think we get ermine (stoats) this far south. They have them up in Canada though. At this time of year, an ermine here would be white and the prey was quite dark, almost black.

Our local native weasel is much smaller than what the fox was carrying, but there are a number of possibilities. I'm guessing that an ordinary rat is most likely, but the American mink is found in this area. They are scarce but both native and feral populations exist and there is an old fur farm not too far upstream. One of our neighbors told us he used to trap mink in the stream on our land 40 years ago. Another possibility is the muskrat, which is found in rivers around here. We also have beavers, but I think they would be too large unless the fox managed to grab a very young one.

The native rabbit is the cottontail (Sylvilagus as opposed to the European rabbit, Oryctilagus) and is almost always tan or brown. However, I did see a small black rabbit just recently when it crossed the road in front of me near here, so there may be some domestic rabbit

[altivo]

Hmm. Another possibility occurs to me. Given the careless way in which some of the nearer neighbors manage their pets, if others a bit farther afield behave similarly it might have been a small puppy or a kitten. :(

Well, foxes gotta eat something and I do like having the foxes around.

[avon_deer]

Mff..that would be upsetting if it was. But as you say, they have to eat.

[cabcat]

I doubt the central office for the State department of education will be much more exciting.

That's where I'll be by the by :P

[altivo]

Take your pillow with you? XD

[altivo]

There's never enough time off. For those of us not in retail, the last two weeks of the year are usually slow as molasses.