Black Fox

[John]

I have just had a shock. I was looking out of my bedroom window and a scrawny looking Black Fox walked past my Bungalow.

I shot out of my side door just as the Fox turned to face me. It shot off into the undergrowth

I have never seen a Black Fox before and must admit that I didn't know they could be that colour. It wasn't a full on black but dark enough to be able to pass for black.

Has anyone else seen a Fox this colour and if so are they usual.

The poor thing had the scrawniest looking tail I have ever seen on a Fox. It also looked a bit on the thin side but I would have thought that there was enough food around here to support it. Mind you I know there is a family with at least two young here so I suppose there is a lot of competition for food.

John

[C C]

I have seen many black looking Foxes. But only one true black un, this was in Maesycmmer near Caerphilly. The majority of dark Foxes have long black guard hairs, given them the appearance of being a black type. They usually revert back after a molt.

Saw a very dark type on the fields by Carmarthen Bay caravan site last night. It looked like the Cross Fox colour. First time i have seen this colour varient, a black stripe down back, with a stripe running down shoulder blades.

Carmarthen is also a good place to see the Silver Fox, have seen three in the past 4 years.
I have also seen one near me. Never seen an albino though.

[Words]

They can certainly look black-ish, especially if their coat is wet/matted or thinning. From the description (scrawny, no brush) it may be that it's suffering from mange. At this time of year I'd expect the brush to be fairly full (they can get straggly in spring when the cubs use them as teething rings!), and the young should largely be fending for themselves.

But as CC said, they can be fairly dark and have an overall charcoal appearance. That said, there are well documented cases of black 'red' foxes though pretty rare in the UK.

[Meles meles]

Sounds like a ill fox, malnutritioned hair strands etc.

I have heard there to be black fox's but rare, very rare to see one.

[Jez]

You Kid me the only other fox i have heard of is Silver? A black fox what agreat sight for saw eyes. Nice one to record

[John]

That is certainly my impression. It certainly did look undernourished and I wonder what it's future is. I also wonder where it came from as I have never seen it around here before. I just wonder if it is wandering around looking for a suitable territory.

John

Originally Posted by Meles meles

Sounds like a ill fox, malnutritioned hair strands etc.

[Words]

Probably not a good outlook for it without treatment. At a guess I'd say it's wandering into new areas to try and find relatively easy pickings.

[Paul mabbott]

Here's another one:
BBC NEWS | England | Unlucky black fox spotted

[Dutchess]

Interesting. Pity there's a bounty on the poor creature's head

Thanks for the link, Paul. I'd like to post it on a forum which discusses unusual and exotic animal sightings within the UK, if you don't mind

Cheers,

D.

[deer boy]

This would explain most of the so called big cat sightings

Originally Posted by Dutchess

Pity there's a bounty on the poor creature's head

It doesn't take a genius to work out where this fox is, no doubt some idiot will now kill it.