Foxes are opportunistic eaters. They have a taste for a variety of foods. So do foxes eat raccoons?
Foxes do eat raccoons. These predators prefer defenceless meals. This leads them to prey on raccoon cubs, but if needed, a fox will attack an adult raccoon. They use their slyness and cunning to hunt raccoons. A fox will pounce on a raccoon and use its sharp teeth to bite the animal’s neck until its dead.
The furry fox has often been called a sly and cunning beast, let’s check their rap sheet and see, do foxes eat racoons? Many stories exist about foxes eating sheep, sneaking into pigs housing, or hunting hens, but how about racoons? Whether you have a pet racoon, are a racoon lover, are a fox’s friend or are a wildlife enthusiast, this quick read article is great for you.
Table of Contents
Do foxes eat racoons?
Foxes are opportunistic animals. They are scavengers, they are predators and they are omnivores. Foxes are dynamic and will think and eat outside the box when in need.
Wild foxes pounce and prey on insects, amphibians, rodents, and mammals that are smaller than them in size. On any given day, a young, small racoon could become food for a hungry fox.
A fox’s dietary routine requires an ample supply of Taurine which is essential to a healthy surviving fox. Small foxes need as much as 500mg of Taurine daily while larger foxes require larger supplies.
Taurine is one of the main nutrients that a fox needs to live and thrive. The diets of domesticated foxes must mirror the dietary requirements of what they eat in the wild.
The good news is that what foxes eat is similar to what dogs eat so most dog foods will fulfil the dietary requirement of a fox
Racoons contain a variety of other nutrients, vitamins and minerals for healthy bone, fur, and immune health. These include animal fats and protein, thiamine, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, iron, and potassium. These benefit the fox’s health, muscular strength, and foxy looks.
A sly fox will eat a raccoon but this can be risky business. Racoons are zoonotic creatures. They are hosts to a variety of transmittable diseases such as canine hepatitis and rabies).
Several types of parasitic worms can infect raccoons and this can negatively affect a fox. In addition, racoons are not a good supply of Taurine which is essential to foxes, and thus raccoons are not a rewarding treat.
While foxes are sizably larger than racoons, it isn’t easy to say who would win or loose, should they fight.
A fox’s teeth are sharp and strong, they are specialized in ripping and gripping. Foxes are twice as fast as racoons.
Racoons are smarter and skilful at getting into safe crevices. Larger obese racoons are harder to overpower. If you want to know if hawks eat raccoons click here.
How do foxes capture and eat raccoons?
Foxes are sly and quiet, they invade racoon dens by treading lightly on their tip toes.
They search for racoon pups as the smaller animals are their preferred prey. The fox will leap, and pounce swiftly onto the raccoon bringing their prey to the ground. They quickly attack their prey biting the neck several times and thus killing it.
A fox will eat at least 2lb of food per day, some foxes will bury food for later when hungry. Not all foxes have a taste for racoon meat, but a hungry fox won’t complain about whats to eat today.
What else do foxes eat?
Because they are omnivores foxes will eat both plant and animal matter. They frequently eat vegetables, fruits, berries, and cherries too.
Like racoons, a fox’s digestive system cannot process certain complex plant proteins. Treats like chocolate, cocoa, coffee and leafy high fibre vegetables aren’t ideal meal appeal for foxes.
Grains like wheat, oats and barley are a dangerous no go for foxes too. Foxes do not eat these grains in the wild but rather rely on fruits and their animal prey to get the nutrients and carbohydrates that those grains contain.
Several fox species are generalist predators. But some prefer specialized diets of crabs, reptiles, birds’ fishes and worms. Domesticated foxes eat mixed vegetables too.
Some pet owners prefer to feed them berries as it reduces the strong smell of their urine. Historically fox urine has been used as a homemade deterrent to racoon intrusions.
Will a fox attack a human?
Unprovoked attacks on humans are very rare. Especially since foxes have a long history of being domesticated. That being said, a fox will react by attacking a human if they feel threatened or startled.
Are foxes related to raccoons?
Foxes and racoons share the same scientific animal classification known as Canidae. They are all omnivorous mammals, of furry coats among other characteristics.
Would a fox attack a baby?
Attacks on children have been very rare. Most have been noted as being in response to the surprise of a wild fox being cornered by a child in a hose or place. Foxes generally prefer to hunt and run, steal and disappear rather than to fight
Conclusion:
While racoons are not Taurine rich sources of food which would be ideal to foxes, they do provide a range of other healthy nutrients, minerals and vitamins for foxes.
Foxes are sly, quiet and smart enough to sneak into raccoon dens and take raccoon babies or adult raccoons. Racoons do try to put up a good fight against these predators.
Generally, foxes only hunt raccoons that are small in size, the ones that they have the greatest chance of eating.
Vegetables and fruits form part of their diet too. Wild foxes steer clear of larger animals including humans. But they have long been domesticated as friendly pets.
Its never too soon to keep your pet racoon safely away from foxes. Foxes are great friendly pets once you have domesticated them.