Red Fox: The Catlike Canine (Smithsonian Nature Books No 5)

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In this engaging introduction to the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), J. David Henry recounts his years of field research on this flame-colored predator. With its catlike whiskers, teeth, and paws, as well as vertical-slit pupils, the North American red fox not only resembles but often behaves like a feline, especially when hunting. Probing the reasons for these similarities, Henry reveals the behavior and ecology of a species that thrives from the edge of suburbia to the cold northern tundra. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Series: Smithsonian Nature Books No 5

Hardcover: 130 pages

Publisher: Smithsonian Inst Pr; First edition (June 1986)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0874745209

ISBN-13: 978-0874745207

Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #722,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #84 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Dogs & Wolves #669 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Mammals #4634 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Fauna

Very well written, includes lots of interesting information on fox life, behavior, habitat needs etc, excellent resource. Highly recommended and I'd definitely buy it again. Pictures are all black and white unfortunately. I've learned a lot about our fox neighbors. Another book (perhaps even better but at least equal to this one) is Living On the Edge: foxes also by J. David Henry - with great color pictures. We have mostly gray foxes here which is neat since they're native to North America but we also have some red foxes which were introduced to the US from Europe for the dreaded fox hunts. Both are beautiful and these two books give you lots of info on each.

Anyone who likes animals will enjoy this book, and I think it is hard to come away from it without an appreciation and affection for the little red fox. Henry describes his scientific research without neglecting his subjective fascination and admiration, qualities which are transmitted easily through the text to the reader. This is one of the two best books on foxes I have ever read (and I've read a lot), and the only one currently in print. Buy it! You won't be sorry.

I am convinced that J. David Henry knows more about red foxes than any other human. And if you have an almost religious fascination with foxes, Henry is your prophet. He is obviously charmed by these creatures and is willing to pursue every facet of their behavior to discover the reason for it. This wonderful book is the product of many years of research, from both his own personal field experience and the borrowed experience of other biologists. Fortunately for the reader, Henry is also a gifted storyteller. If his goal was to make red foxes relatable and relevant to our own lives, then he succeeded.In this revised edition of the book, there are eight pages of color photographs of red foxes. Further, the scientific evidence gathered by the author suggests that red foxes migrated into North America long before Europeans settled it. For more fox facts, read this book.

Interesting and well-written book about the ecology of foxes. Not for those looking for any historical information.

This is an excellent short revision of a Smithsonian publication from ten years hence, which was also highly acclaimed. The text and illustrations are excellent for those intending to understand or study the fox in it's natural environment. While a short 140 pages of text, the book is crammed with exccellent insights and just enough human empathy to explain how the fox conducts it's life.

I'm so pleased I found this book! Ever since I saw a fox carrying a bird in its mouth across my lawn I've wanted to learn more about these elusive animals. The only books I could find in the library were written for children, so they were only about a dozen pages. This book is full of behavioral research and gave me a good insight into a fox's mind. There are also many pictures, a few of them in beautiful color. It does get a little technical at times (especially in a section describing an experiment to learn more about food caching behavior). This is not a field guide (for example, I wouldn't use it to try and identify what kind of fox has claimed my yard as its territory). As the title suggests, it's specific research conducted on the Red Fox and it's for people like me that want to learn as much as possible about a little-understood creature.

"Red Fox: The Catlike Canine" by J. David Henry First off, this book is a gem if for no other reason than that Red Foxes are such fascinating creatures. Henry is an ethologist - a scientist who studies animal behaviors and his book bears that imprint. A goodly amount of text is devoted to his methodologies and conjectures - all things that would interest other scientists and advanced amateur Nature students. HOWEVER.... Any animal lover, Nature-watcher, or just plain curious person will probably find this book interesting in spite of having to wade through a bit scientific mud once in a while. It is a classic illustration of how Nature and wildlife should be approached and studied so the student can actually understand the "what" and "why" of the things they see. Not that the Nature buff needs all the math and discipline, not at all.It is the "way of seeing" demonstrated in this book that will reward the Nature-watcher with the intimate knowledge of, and connection to, whatever their chosen subject is. Red Foxes, like all the rest of Nature, are a sort of jig-saw puzzle. If you can find the Logic and put it together you are rewarded with a spendid picture. This book gives the reader a tantalizing glimpse of just how it is done.

Unlike most animal books I have read this one is on the top of my list for best information. David goes into great detail about foxes, his experiments to test hypotheses and the complete follow up of results. David is not like most animal researchers in that he tells about his private thoughts and times out in the field, and makes an emphaze on how he wants other researches to test his theories and hypotheses. This book is great and very inspiring to get out, watch wildlife and observe.

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