Vulpes vulpes
About
The Red Fox (German: Rotfuchs) might be one of the most common species of fox worldwide. It has made its home from Northern Alaska down to Northern India and can be found in all of the climate zones in between. In Europe, and Germany especially, it is a common synanthrope showing barely any reserve living around humans.
While Red Foxes in Germany typically live in the forest, they have also been seen making homes in gardens and backyards, raising their young on terraces and interacting friendly with pets such as the Domestic Dog, a distant relative and fellow canid. In the past, Red Foxes were hunted systematically for their fur. There are dog breeds that have been primed to hunt foxes and will do so when running free and sniffing out a fox. There are still fox fur farms around the world. In general, Red Foxes aren't a threat to humans and will not attack but rather run when they get scared or are surprised in any way
Foxes can transmit the Fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis to humans, causing alveolar echinococcosis. The risk of ingesting a tapeworm can be drastically reduced by washing all berries, fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in places where foxes might live. That includes small garden plots. Foxes can also catch and transmit rabies. Terrestrial rabies is considered eradicated in Germany, but still very common in other countries around the world.
