Can a fox swim?

natural goose abatement!

This morning, when we saw a fox wending its way through a series of neighborhood yards circling the lake, I wondered whether swimming was in its repertoire of skills. And because the internet offers such a wealth of information, I decided to do a little research. Yup, turns out they can and do swim, as documented in this photo from someone who witnessed a fox carrying a goose egg in her mouth in order to feed her young. In fact, because she could carry only one egg in her mouth at a time, she swam back to the island goose nest four times in order to feed the whole family. Which brings up another question...how many kits are typically born to a female fox? Four is average; three to five is common. That surprised me. But the Gormans recently verified that our Spring Lake fox does indeed have four young ones. Sue saw them while walking. Really!
If you're curious about the red fox, you'll find lots of good information here and here....like how long does a vixen's pregnancy last? About 8 weeks!