u/Mudjin2137

Information may be upsetting, viewer discretion is advised

Everyone knows that humans absolutely suck at surviving to teenhood and adulthood, that is why humans have vaccines, sanitation, and modern medicine in general which decrease infant and child mortality rates.

How does red fox kit mortality look like in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)?

Are they more likely to die as kits, before 6 months of age, or more likely to die between 6 months and 10 months, which is their dispersal time until sexual maturity?

So far I got this data on my own:

- Fox kit mortality

Mostly influenced by critically low birth weight (being a runt) and hydrocephalus, small part is infectious diseases including neonatal sepsis and pneumonia. I heard and read about many fox kits throughout years, I remember the fox kits:

- 2 ever having bacterial sepsis/pneumonia (only one was saved and now is 9 years old),

- one having distemper,

- one dying in 24 hours from low birth weight (the vixen was 10 years old in captivity and gave birth to 3 fox kits),

- one was mentioned to have upper respiratory tract infection,

- another one had mange,

- another had possibly lungworm.

Blue Ridge Wildlife Center states they average 3-6 cases of hydrocephalus per year:

>While hydrocephalus is seen across species, we see most cases in red foxes and we average 3-6 cases per year. Infection in-utero is one of the most common causes of hydrocephalus in foxes, humans, and other species. Toxoplasmosis is one very common cause of this condition and research conducted at our hospital has shown that many red foxes are unfortunately infected with this parasite.

>Toxoplasmosis is a protozoan parasite that is spread in cat feces, with cats being the definitive host for this parasite.

Arcticfoxdaily states they have one hydrocephalus case either yearly or every other year.

The only "fox kithood specific danger" were eagles and falcons. Also fox kit's siblings if the fox kit in particular is a runt because the runt can be killed or starved. It is not a guaranteed fate, however.

- Fox juvenile mortality

When foxes venture out and eventually leave forever to have their own territories, mortality spikes. They get caught in nets, fences, die from cars. They are most likely to contract illnesses and parasites there for some reason: rabies, distemper, mange.

Red Fox Tales channel states through 10+ years of fox observation, 74 fox kits were born and 4 died before dispersal time from unknown causes. 70 fox kits survived to 7 months of age during the observation taking more than a decade.

Please comment if you do have any knowledge for the research, even anecdotal evidence from expert fox watchers can be welcome.

u/CasualGlam87 is very much welcome here with his expertise.