Red foxes are active at night. Active means awake and moving. They are also active around dusk and dawn. Dusk is when the sun goes down. Dawn is when the sun comes up.

A red fox has excellent hearing. A fox that is hunting a mouse can stand still and listen for it.

A red fox creeps close to its food, the way a cat does. Then it pounces. To pounce is to jump on something.

Red foxes eat rabbits. They also eat fruit.

A red fox can hide extra food. It hides the food in a den or buries it in the ground.

Most red foxes have red fur. A red fox has a bushy tail with a white tip.

A young red fox is called a kit. Kits are born in a den, which is a hole in the ground.

Newborn red foxes are blind. That means they cannot see.

Both the mother and the father red fox help take care of the young. While the mother stays with the newborn kits, the father brings her food.

Red foxes live in many kinds of places. They live in forests, in deserts and in cities.

Words to know

• dusk: evening time
• pounce: jump on
• den: a hole home
• kit: a baby fox