Foxes are small, omnivorous mammals that belong to several genera of the Canidae family. Compared to wolves and jackals, foxes are generally smaller than other members of the Canidae family. Take a look below for 28 more interesting and weird facts about foxes.

1. The red fox is the largest fox species. They can grow to be between 4.1 and 8.7 kilograms, or 9 and 19.2 pounds, in weight.

2. The fennec fox is the smallest fox species. It can grow to be between 0.7 and 1.6 kilograms, or 1.5 and 3.5 pounds, in weight.

3. There are 12 known species of fox. This includes the urban fox, or red fox, the white Arctic fox, the sand fox, which lives in desert regions, and the tiny big eared fennec fox.

4. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

5. They tend to live for about 3 to 6 years, but some species are known to be as old as 13 when kept in captivity.

6. Foxes are very transient animals and they frequently move from place to place.

7. They’re omnivores, which means that they eat both vegetation and meat. Their diet consists of small mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, eggs, insects, worms, fish, crabs, mollusks, fruits, berries, vegetables, seeds, fungi and carrion. In the winter, their diet changes a bit and they tend to eat mainly mammals like mice and rabbits.

8. They’re nocturnal animals, which means that they’re most active during the night. However, this can change depending on where the fox lives.

9. Due to their eyes being specially adapted to night vision, foxes make great night time predators.

10. They’re known for running up to 65 kilometers per hour, or 40 miles per hour.

11. They normally make their dens by burrowing underground. This provides a cool area to sleep, a good location to store food and safe place to have pups. Burrows usually have several exists so that they can flee if a predators enters.

12. Their breeding season runs from January through March. Their pregnancy lasts between 51 and 53 days. Female foxes give birth to between 2 and 7 pups.

13. Female foxes will make a nest of leaves inside her burrow for her pups. That special room in the burrow is called a “nesting chamber.”

14. When raising their pups, the male and female foxes will live in small families called a “leash of foxes,” or a “skulk of foxes.” Otherwise, they hunt and sleep alone.

15. Male foxes are known as “dogs,” “tods,” or “reynards.” Female foxes are called “vixens.”

16. The red fox has the widest geographical range of any other animal in the Carnivora order. It’s range covers the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to North Africa to Central America to the Asiatic steppes. It can also be found in Australia.

17. Foxes can use the Earth’s magnetic field to track down their prey. They’re able to use the field to judge distance as well as the direction of the prey. Researchers in the United States and Germany believe that foxes have an innate augmented reality system that allows them to do this.

18. They have excellent hearing ability. They can hear low-frequency sounds such as rodents digging underground.

19. Grey foxes, who can be found in North America, are the only member of the dog family who can climb trees.

20. In many cultures, the fox appears in folklore as a symbol of cunning and trickery, or an animal that has some kind of magic power.

21. In the United Kingdom, sport fox hunting is controversial.

22. Sport fox hunting, in its traditional form, was banned in Scotland in 2002, and in England and Wales in November, 2004.

23. Certain modified forms of hunting forms with hounds are still within the law, and shooting foxes as vermin is still allowed under the law.

24. Due to their in demand fur, they are ruthlessly bred or trapped and hunted in the wild, then skinned.

25. Foxes have whiskers on their legs. This helps them with their bearings, especially when it’s dark outside.

26. Arctic foxes are able to withstand temperatures as low as -70 degrees Celsius.

27. Foxes have 40 different voices that they can use, but their most common is a scream.

28. They’re known to be friendly and curious. They like to play among themselves as well as with other animals like cats and dogs.