How big do fox get ?

[pumbaa]

Went for a walk with the dog earlier on this evening . I was walking down the local bridal way when a fox popped out onto the path about 100ft from my position . What startled me was the size of it . it was at least the size of a full grown german shepard ! Do they normaly get that big?
The bridle way does cross an old landfill site which made me wonder if it was radioactive goo that made it this big (like the 3 eyed fish on the simpsons).
I know there was a lot of talk about green goo being dumped there back in the 80s .
Cheers
Pumbaa

 

[Motorbike Man]

Went for a walk with the dog earlier on this evening . I was walking down the local bridal way when a fox popped out onto the path about 100ft from my position . What startled me was the size of it . it was at least the size of a full grown german shepard ! Do they normaly get that big?
The bridle way does cross an old landfill site which made me wonder if it was radioactive goo that made it this big (like the 3 eyed fish on the simpsons).
I know there was a lot of talk about green goo being dumped there back in the 80s .
Cheers
Pumbaa

Sounds like an odd question, but are you totally sure of the perspective and stuff as that would be huge for a fox! As an amatuer photographer I know how easy it can be to get distance and size wrong

 

[FeralSheryl]

Dunno what you saw there mate but no Fox I've ever seen grows that big!

Coyote can appear about the size of a medium sized dog or small German Shepherd, but since I take it you we're walking in the UK not the US, I daresay it wasn't a Coyote.

Maybe as Motorbike man says, it could have been a trick of perspective or summat.

 

[pumbaa]

I paced the istance out thinking the same , but he was considerably bigger than my 6 month old rotty pup who stands just past my knee . I am still shocked by the size of it . It was more wolf size than fox size , but the colouring was definately fox , even had its dark winter coat starting to come through . I tried to find some tracks but the ground was too hard .
Pumbaa

 

[Motorbike Man]

I paced the istance out thinking the same , but he was considerably bigger than my 6 month old rotty pup who stands just past my knee . I am still shocked by the size of it . It was more wolf size than fox size , but the colouring was definately fox , even had its dark winter coat starting to come through . I tried to find some tracks but the ground was too hard .
Pumbaa

That would definately be one HUGE fox!! Just playing devil's advocate and I'm fairly certain what the answer will be but you are positive it wasn't just a fox like dog aren't you?

 

[pumbaa]

I was !
I am as sure as i can be , wish i had my digital camera with me now (wont make that mistake again) .
It was running off from the direction of the lesiure centre/ holiday area where some kids were being rather loud when it spotted me and the pup . it stood looking at me for about 10 seconds till i reached down to put the dog on its lead . Thats when it bolted into the quarry . It had standy up ears but a small head compared to its body , but all the usual foxy traits were there , pointy nose etc. If anything it was a shade darker than i would have expected but i put that down to it being a colder spell at the moment , hence the referal to its winter coat .
If it wasnt a fox , i would like to know what else it could have been . I have seen muntjack over those pits before but it definately wasnt one of those or a deer . What else do we have localy that could be an option ?
Pumbaa

 

[pumbaa]

It was a dirty drown on its back than those in these pics and was missing the white , but other wise it looked very similar .
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=8186&highlight=foxes
Pumbaa

 

[Motorbike Man]

Nothing that I could think of other than a foxy looking dog. Maybe I ought to dig out the N.V. scope and we'll go over and stake out the area one night

 

[pumbaa]

I am definately up for that one . It has got me wondering though , started thinking it might be some kind of hybrid animal . I dont know how possible that is ! Can definately rule out deer and big cat though .
Pumbaa
Oh yeah and wasn't a warthog

 

[familne]

Was this walk to or from the pub?

 

[Motorbike Man]

I am definately up for that one . It has got me wondering though , started thinking it might be some kind of hybrid animal . I dont know how possible that is ! Can definately rule out deer and big cat though .
Pumbaa
Oh yeah and wasn't a warthog

We'll talk tomorrow

 

[Toddy]

I'm just in; driving from Motherwell to Hamilton to Bothwell, I nearly knocked down two foxes tonight who bolted across the roads in front of me and the second one was enormous. I thought it was an alsation until I saw the nose and the brush, and you're right, it did have the heavy dark coat too. Maybe that's what's making them seem so big...but this beast was *tall* too, not sleekit.
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[ssj]

Around here (western US) foxes are about the size of a cat or a little bigger but with long legs. Usually very skinny.
Steve

 

[Motorbike Man]

Around here (western US) foxes are about the size of a cat or a little bigger but with long legs. Usually very skinny.
Steve

That's generally about the size of them here as well, that's what makes this so interesting to me. I've met Pumbaa a couple of times now so I know that he's not easily spooked. Dorset has a bit of a tradition of wierd animals from big cats to wallabies and parrots, maybe a giant fox could be the next one

 

[FeralSheryl]

I'm just in; driving from Motherwell to Hamilton to Bothwell, I nearly knocked down two foxes tonight who bolted across the roads in front of me and the second one was enormous. I thought it was an alsation until I saw the nose and the brush, and you're right, it did have the heavy dark coat too. Maybe that's what's making them seem so big...but this beast was *tall* too, not sleekit.
Cheers,
Toddy

Intriguing! Can there be a secret species on the prowl? There are alot of escapees, tales of big Cats etc living successsfully all over our countryside. Do you think there is any chance it could have been a Maned Wolf?

Check out this link for pictures. Looks just like a Fox on stilts and is a really big fellow.

More info here

Maybe a few have escaped from a Wildlife Park or something? I mean it's not impossible. You only have to think of the Wild Parrots now doing very nicely in London.

 

[R-J]

FeralSheryl, from what every one's said and those pic's you could have hit the nail on the head. if the big cats can do it i dont see a reson why a wild dog (cant think of the propper term) wouldnt be able to do it as they are more opportunistic by thier nature (from my limited understanding).

if it is one, it'd sure make me look twice if i encountered one while out and about, lmao

 

[shona]

Foxes round my way look pretty big (especially when out walking the dog myself in the dark...) but I think they are more fur than fesh & blood. Their winter coats are starting to come in so they look a lot larger than they do in summer.

 

[NickBristol]

I thought it sounded like it could have been some dog/fox hybrid but just been reading that there is no dog species that can successfully mate with a fox. Not because they're very genetically different but due to a difference in the number of chromasomes in each species. The author of the article described is as akin to Dos and Mac filing systems...

Hope you have some luck on the NV stakeout - have you got a camera attached to the NV? Be good to see the results...

 

[steven andrews]

We have these in Jersey:


At Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
It would be quite a long swim to Dorset though - maybe they stowed away on a ship.

They are very tall animals, I would say that their backs come up to my waist height.

They are quite creepy and have kind of "werewolfness" to them.

Escaped Werewolf stowaways reach Dorset!

 

[BlueTrain]

Some of those animals do look like something out of a horror movie. More to the point, however, is that I have only recently seen foxes near my house in a Washington, D.C. suburb about 20 miles from the Potomac River. The ironic thing is that I never saw a fox in West Virginia at all. I also only recently saw my first bears in Shenandoah National Park, about 75 miles west of here.

These foxes I saw on two occasions. The first time I saw one but only briefly. The next time was when I was walking the woods near the house and spotted something moving about 30 or 40 yards to my front. I stopped and watched for moment. I thought it was a couple of small dogs, which would be unusual in itself because people do not let dogs run free around there. It turned out to be not one but two foxes trotting around and coming in my direction. Once they spotted me, however, they promptly changed directions and picked up speed. There are also groundhogs in the same area.

Equally interesting to me, considering that I live in a urban/surburban area, is how often I see hawks. I will invariably notice them perched on power lines and poles alongside highways and major highways at that. They are quite noticeable because of their size and distinctive shape (very upright) when perching.

There are news items now and then about coyotes beginning to move into the area, including into the District of Columbia, but I don't expect to see one anytime soon. Beaver are also common in my neighborhood.