What does the fox say? The fiery-coated canines are present not only in diverse environments and urban scapes but also in fables, films, and music. And among the twelve species of true foxes, we think of the red fox the most with its rusty fur, long snout, fluffy tail bush, and black-tipped ears and feet.
In addition, due to centuries of storytelling across many cultures, we associate the creature with mischievousness, trickery, and beauty. If you want to learn more, browse our collection of fox quotes below that embody the fascinating canines.
Quick links to our selection of fox quotes:
Red foxes may be a well-known species, but due to their diversity and adaptability, some foxes live in cold regions, like the Arctic fox, and in arid deserts, like the Fennec fox.
Fun fact: Zorro is the Spanish name for the South American fox, which features in our list of animals that with Z.
In addition, like raccoons, they also adjusted to living in urban areas by hunting for small mammals or scavenging for food waste and taking shelter in abandoned buildings and tiny plots of land.
Interestingly, even if they're part of the Canidae family, foxes have many similarities with cats. With their stealth hunting, slitted eyes, climbing skills, and long whiskers, it's natural to ask if foxes are felines.
Such interesting creatures! Read on our fox quotes below to know more about the catlike canines.
"When people think of foxes, they picture the red fox, with its large white-tipped tail and brilliant flame color fur."
"The forest is a great place for many foxes to live. They can use the trees for shelter and for stalking their prey."
"A fox tries to make its home near good supplies of food."
"The bountiful supply of food also makes the life of the city fox noticeably different from those living in rural areas. Like us, foxes live in denser populations in cities than in the countryside."
"Wild dogs are well adapted to living in different habitats. The Arctic fox has a thick fur, which protects it from below-freezing temperatures."
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
"What creature lives in the desert, has huge ears, and walks or furry feet? It rarely drinks water, and it stays up all night. This special animal is the fennec fox."
"Let's be perfectly clear, shall we. The fox is not a little orange puppy dog with doe eyes and a waggly tail. It's a disease-ridden wolf with the morals of a psychopath and the teeth of a great white shark."
Foxes have a cunning reputation which leads us to the idiom, sly as a fox. Scientists discovered how intelligent they were when they started observing their peculiar hunting practice of diving into snow. That technique is mousing, wherein they attack prey they cannot see by jumping high on thick vegetation or deep snow.
The Czech researchers observed a 72.5% success rate on their north-oriented jumps (340°–40°) and a 60% rate when facing south (160°–220°). In comparison, the attacks in other directions had a low success rate of under 18%. Therefore, they concluded that the foxes use the magnetic field as a targeting system while hunting1.
How cool is that! Be as clever as the fox when reading the following fox quotes below.
"A fox can be smarter than a wolf."
"In a society where every man is fox-minded, you need to be foxier than the fox!"
"A prince must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves."
"You will catch the fox with cunning, and the wolf with courage."
"If you want to play the lion's share in life, you must wear fox skin."
"The cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf."
Foxes kill small livestock. That's why since the middle ages, fox hunting has been prevalent to control their population, until the rise of opposing groups in the late twentieth century. Thankfully, laws like the Hunting Act 2004 in England banned this practice, although organized hunting still exists in countries like Ireland and Australia.
The Human Society of the United States assured that the canines are not dangerous and suggested ways to deal with them in different situations. For example, if foxes find shelter near your house, allow them to stay until the winter is over or until the cubs are old enough to hunt. If you have small pets, keep them indoors or make a fence, and since foxes love digging, build it with an L-shaped footer.
Consider how to be kinder to these canines as you read more metaphorical fox quotes below.
"I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret of government lies in knowing when to be the one or the other."
"The sleeping fox catches no poultry."
"A fox is a wolf who sends flowers."
"A fox should not be of the jury at a goose’s trial."
"Many foxes grow gray but few grow good."
"The fox never found a better messenger than himself."
"A foolish fox is caught by one leg, but a wise one by all four."
"He who wants to catch foxes must hunt with geese."
"Even old foxes are caught in the snare."
As much as we adore fox's dog and cat features, they are not ideal pet companions. However, if you're determined to get one, first check if owning a fox is legal in your area.
In America, 16 states allow the ownership of foxes, like Florida, Ohio, and Indiana. Next, ensure you can provide all their needs, from food to ample outdoor space. Also, be ready with their musky smell, territory markings, and late-night noises. Of course, it's okay if you don't meet these requirements. Instead, and likely better for all, let's adore them from afar.
After reading the funny fox quotes below, watch some heart-warming fox videos online.
"What a hungry fox constantly dreams of is a chicken!"
"The early bird gets the worm, and the early fox gets the bird."
"He thought about how it might be to be, say, a fox confronted with an angry sheep. A sheep moreover, that could afford to employ wolves."
"A fox looked at his shadow at sunrise and said, I will have a camel for lunch today. And all morning he went about looking for camels. But at noon he saw his shadow again-and he said, A mouse will do."
"Fox is notorious for having a very thick skin about taking shots at themselves."
With the hunting skills and idioms mentioned above, there's no wonder why the creature's symbolism of intelligence and trickery have been widespread across many cultures for centuries.
Depending on the particular Native American tribe, foxes represent intelligence, wisdom, greed, or a bad omen. In Greek Mythology, Dionysus sent the Teumessian Fox, which can never be caught, to punish the city of Thebes. The town fought back by sending the magical dog Laelaps which can capture everything it hunts.
Zeus stopped this neverending hunt by turning both into a constellation, the dog as Canis Major and the fox as Canis Minor. Finally, in East Asia, foxes are spiritual creatures with shapeshifting capabilities which they use to trick humans.
Discover more fox folklore and mythologies after reading the fox quotes below.
"We communicate like the burrows of foxes, in silence and darkness, underground. We are undermined by faith and love."
"Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary, some in the wrong direction. Practice resurrection."
"The fox has many tricks. The hedgehog has but one. But that is the best of all."
"The fox of the foxes. A true fox calls immature not only the grapes it cannot reach, but also the one it has reached and taken away from others."
"The fox condemns the trap, not himself."
"Sand dunes fill up all our towns. Foxes howl and the creepers prowl around. The peeling wet bricks of London town foxes howl and the way men cower."
"The too-clever fox, finally caught."
"Compromise means to go just a little bit below what you know is right. It’s just a little bit, but it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine."
After discussing ancient folklore, how can we forget the foxes from the enchanting tale by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the several fables of Aesop? In The Little Prince, a fox mentors the protagonist, teaching him about life and its complexities. In Aesop's 28 fables, a fox is a clever trickster who uses its wit to overcome obstacles and gain an advantage.
Get a glimpse of these literary works through our remaining fox quotes below.
"No one has tamed you and you haven’t tamed anyone.You’re the way my fox was. He was just a fox like a hundred thousand others. But I’ve made him my friend, and now he’s the only fox in the world."
"For you I’m only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, we’ll need each other."
"Men have forgotten this truth,' said the fox. 'But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.'"
"A Fox entered the house of an actor and, rummaging through all his properties, came upon a Mask, an admirable imitation of a human head. He placed his paws on it and said, 'What a beautiful head! Yet it is of no value, as it entirely lacks brains.'"
| 1 | Červený Jaroslav, Begall Sabine, Koubek Petr, Nováková Petra, and Burda Hynek, 2011, Directional preference may enhance hunting accuracy in foraging foxes. Biol. Lett.7355–357 |
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