The Best Fox Kit Pictures So Far

The red fox kits in Fairfax County are still as active as ever and are growing fast. These are the same ones that I've been blogging about in the past few weeks.

Like human children, their daily activities consist of eating, pooping, and playing, without a care in the world. Must be nice!

They've been eating on their own and don't seem to be with their mother as much already.

Here's some stills of the red fox kits of Great Falls, Virginia. . .

. . . and of course videos!

One thing to take note of though is that one of the kits has a fairly large rash on its throat and neck.  It's a patch of red without fur (picture below).  Look closely at its neck to see what I mean. 

What do you think caused this?  Possible explanations that I (and other biologists, naturalists, and friends) have thought of is heat rash, scratching, mange, mites, fungus, disease, foul play between foxes, the mother red fox carrying the kit, or another predator.

I'll be watching these kits closely, and hope you will too.

Chris Chester's Site on Camera-Trapping

Chris Chester of WAMU 88.5 (NPR) inquired about doing a story or project on the cameras that I use a few months ago.

I said yes, of course, and was excited to show him what camera-trapping was all about.  We met up at a local park where I camera-trap and waltzed through many areas of ankle deep mud.  Cameras were set up and the curiosity of what might come up on the cameras was brewing in our minds.

It's definitely a good thing to get other people to know and see your passion, and I am glad he made it more public by making a website.  I'd just like to say a big thanks to Chris for the hard work and interest in what I do.  Here's a link to the site he made:
http://cameratrap.chesterworks.com/.

I think he did a phenomenal job with it all and hope you think the same.

Deer Carcassing

Dedicated blog readers should know that I love a good deer carcass- for camera-trapping purposes of course.

The deer carcass in Leesburg, VA has been out for months and is STILL getting amazing results from scavenging critters.   Here's a few photos from the last batch that you should see.

Crows, ravens, vultures, and american kestrels are gorging on not only the remains, but also on the beetles that are feasting on the deer.

Fox Kits, Fox Kits, Fox Kits

There are now two cameras at the active fox den in Great Falls, Va.  One camera is for pictures and one is for video.  That's right VIDEO of the bundles of joy!

Immerse yourself in a maximum level of furry cuteness.

Don't worry, there will be more to come.  I'm keeping a close eye on these kits.