Foxes, and mating 'surrogacy'

[Jason Green]

Evening all,

I read a while ago that when some female foxes can't find a mate one year, they can become sort of 'assistants' and help other fox-mothers raise their brood and thereby gain experience for themselves for the following year.

Is this true, and common-place?

Thanks!

Take care,

Jason

[Dogghound]

Yes this is true, its particularly common in relatives of the dominant vixen. Especially unpaired daughters.

[Jason Green]

Thanks Dan, and good to see you around!

[STYRBJORN]

As said. Usually an unmated year old vixen. She may stay around after the dog fox has left. If you think about it, it makes good evolutionary sense. Her nieces and nephews share some genes with her, and her experience will make her a better provider next year.

Ric

[mbaldw]

Just to add to what others have already said, with regards to how common it is, occurrence depends on resources and population density. It happens in rural locations, but tends to be more common among urban populations.

Cheers,
Marc.

[Jason Green]

Thanks all!

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by mbaldw

Just to add to what others have already said, with regards to how common it is, occurrence depends on resources and population density. It happens in rural locations, but tends to be more common among urban populations.

Yes, I belive it is closely linked to areas which have high fox densities and low territory availability. So instead of setting up new territory the young are held back and help the mother.

[mbaldw]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Yes, I belive it is closely linked to areas which have high fox densities and low territory availability. So instead of setting up new territory the young are held back and help the mother.

Very much so, although I do wonder whether there's something more going on behind the scenes. Both sexes tend to make several exploratory trips before dispersing (which I presume it a sort of 'test of the water' to assess the number of vacant territories), but it's almost invariably the vixens that end up staying. Overall, resources not withstanding, I think there's just less pressure on vixens to move out than there is for dogs. The Bristol biologists found that the amount of social contact seems to influence subsequent dispersal and that vixen engage in more contact (i.e. allo-grooming), and thus form stronger social bonds, than males. This way, vixens seem more able to integrate into the social order than males (although it's not unknown for males to remain with their parents for a year or more).

In the end, as you say, resource must be the overriding factor that decides whether hangers-on are tolerated but, outside of that, I suspect social integration plays a significant hand in deciding who stays and who goes. Fascinating animals.

Cheers,
Marc.