Fox Wild Cat and Wolverine Study Project: January 2021

Sunday, 31 January 2021

Black Foxes and White Foxes...oh, and Blue ones

Looking at the Index cards for the Ashton Vale Wildlife Group (AVWG) which dealt with the non exotic animal stuff I found the following:

Back in 1999 I, and people from the University of Wales, Camarthen, were in touch with locals over cat reports and we found out that an area in Mid Glamorgan had a strong population of "Blue foxes" (Silver foxes). These had apparently been  brought over from Europe to fight terriers.  Some of the foxes escaped. A local forester confirmed this only after I prtoved that I knew the area involved, etc and was not just digging for info.

Paul Garner, a biologist who worked with the EAR noted an albinistic fox in an area of Cambridgeshire in 1999.

1997-1999 melanistic foxes were seen in Devon. One taxi driver who only did night shifts and was a keen naturalist saw them on several; occasions.

Forgot most of this but I think it is in Red Paper.

Useful Links and Addresses

With thanks to Hayley De Ronde

There is limited information out there on the needs of foxes, which can make it difficult for prospective keepers (or those with a wildlife casualty) to make informed choices prior to taking on the responsibility of caring for a fox. Below is a list of all the webpages that provide information on red foxes, silver foxes and the Russian domesticated foxes.

If you know of an informative website you think current and prospective fox owners would benefit from, then please let us know and we will add it to the list!

“Gaining knowledge is the first step to wisdom. Sharing it is the first step to humanity.”

Wildcats, Wolverines...What's Going On?

With the "Hooper Cat" paper (preliminary paper title) set to be published in 2021 I began to look at what work had been carried out on UK wild cats/ferals. The "Hooper Cat" is, obviously, part of that work but it seems that everything went quiet after 2000.

Yes, I have no doubt that cat charities catcxhing, neutering and re-releasing (or trying to re-home) feral domestic cats can provide a great deal of preliminary data. however, what of the species looking for all the world like European wildcats (Felis silvestris) reported from around the UK? For cats in Scotland I would be very shocked to learn that no one was observing and study the Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris syn. Felis silvestris grampia).

However, England and Wales appears to be full of people only interested in 'big cats' -only one of the Big cat species is reported in the UK the others are Medium and Small Size.

I have to say that the same applies to wolverine (Gulo gulo). My 2000 report appears to have been the lat period in which interest was piqued. Of course, it has not helped that two very valuable local obervers/reporters have died in the intervening years.

One thing I did find a few years ago was the owner of a certain farm (taken over from his father) in Wales where there were sightings, etc., of established wolverines has denied there ever having been any such thing. I queried this locally and was called a "dafty" not for my beliuef in wolverine in Wales but for thinking that at a time when a farm(s) were being sold off locally the prospective owner would be happy to hear that they will also inherit wolverines on their property. "We don't want idiots with guns coming in here hunting them!" was the other response.

You see, I have the game cams and time but covid19 really ha no appreciation of a naturalists work!

If anyone reading this has any report or even photograph please get in touch and all communications are 100% guaranteed confidential.

Terry

blacktowercg@hotmail.com

or message me via face book

Melanistic Foxes

I was always told by the established Old Boys who had been told by their established Old Boys that fox cubs are born black and they soon take on their "red coat".

By the mid 1990s I was positive that this was dogma.

I began to seriously look at black fox reports as Keith Foster in the United States had noted that it(melanism) might be an indicator of a species under pressure.  But female taxi driver (a keen naturalist) spotted black foxes a few times in Devon. There were reports of black and even white foxe up on the Scottish border.

Unfortunately, many naturalist groups (such as the British Naturalist Association (f 1905) BNA) were "tea and biscuit social group and if it wasn't a pretty bird or butterfly and very good weather....their backsides were glued into armchairs.  Those who were keeping an eye on foxes were NOT disclosing locations or other data (understandable in a way).

I worked out -and this is GUESSWORK- that in any given year there must be a large number of black foxes running around. I had to exclude Raccoon Dogs and even raccoons ("a weird looking fox") but I think it would take a lot of people around the UK to forward reports so that we could see if I was right or wrong.

Sadly, after a few months responses to appeals total ZERO.

I guess no money in it or celebrity status.

Feral & Hybrid Study Project -How YOU Can Help

Most feral cats have small home ranges, although some are more transient and travel long distances. The home ranges of male feral cats, which are generally two or three times larger than those of female cats, are on average under 10 ha (25 acres or 0.0390625 ), but can vary from almost 300 ha (740 acres or 1.15625 square miles) to under 1 ha (2.5 acres or 12100 square yards).

When Bella (or as my neighbours whom she adopted call her "Tallulah") moved into the garden it was her territory and she would not go far and fought any cat or fox that encroached. Once settled in her house home next door she had a bigger area and will now go a couple houses further along. So she was dumped, looked after in my garden then became semi (and I mean semi) domesticated when she moved into next door's house.

Bella has caught pigeons -the ladies next door take them from her to fly another day- she will play with slow worms, kill rats and mice and if she got a chance would kill smaller birds. However, she is well fed these days!

Back in 1999 Margaret Roberts, then Chief Veterinarian for the Cats Protection League noted that feral cats are accused of killing birds and wild life  but in fact, rather like city foxes, lived nearer to humans and spources of regular food put out by house holders whether for hedgehogs, foxes or even the cats themselves.

Feral cats living outside cities and towns or even in old industrial estates tend to live on mice, rats and birds though as I have observed a number of house cats eat moths, butterflies and other insects these are no doubt also on the menu. Rabbits are also going to be a food source.

Again, like the fox, feral AND domestic cats (though I have observed domestic cats within two feet of rats and have no idea what they should do!) keep down the rat and mouse populations effectively -which is why up until the 1980s most factories and some shops had resident "Ratter" or "Mouser" cats -the one at Poples Popular Pies/butchers in the 1960s also got its full of beetles and cockroaches.

Again, Roberts pointed out what is basic fact but tends to be deliberately ignored: there is a prey-predator ration. Plenty of food sources then the cats will breed well but there is an auto shut off point when prey are scarce and young could not be fed. Hence the differing territories. No rats or mice -go to the houses where food is put out.

It was noted early on in the study of non native cats that opportunities for food -it used to be when meat was discarded in bins after Christmas at one point- were taken as presented.  Foxes featured on the menu in the countryside -observed. 

This means that in assessing territories for feral cats and even hybrid cats (domestic-F. silvestris) has to be based on the same information asked in "big cat" reports: What is the area like -golf courses, woods or semi-urban; are there wild rabbits or wild fowl -there is a long list but it tells you whether it is likely that a large cat is living in an area or moving through. Along with cat territories I noted the researchers at Swansea University noted others and even found a golden cat "nest" area.

This means that if we have a new population of hybrid feral cats and the reports are widespread then it has to mean to total population is large.  The so called "Hooper Cats" (this name was used by Police Forces Wildlife Crimes Officers) I am preparing a paper on, do appear to be wide spread but future field studies will be needed and that requires the setting up of trail cameras as well as relying on people around the country just interested in helping out.

Once the paper has been published the project will be more widely publicised but any and all help in the meantime is welcome.

Terry Hooper-Scharf 
Feral & Hybrid Study Project
Vale Wildlife Group

Sunday, 31 January 2021

Black Foxes and White Foxes...oh, and Blue ones

Useful Links and Addresses

Useful Links & Websites

Looking for More Information on Foxes?

Wikipedia Fox Facts

Red Fox Information

Silver Foxes In The UK

UK Fox Encounters

Foxes In Canada & The US

Silver Foxes Elsewhere

Domesticated Silver Foxes

Facebook Fox Groups

Enrichment & Training

The Farmed Silver Fox

Red Fox Studies

Wild Foxes & Missing Pets

Wildcats, Wolverines...What's Going On?

Melanistic Foxes

Feral & Hybrid Study Project -How YOU Can Help