Answers to Go with Susan Smith

Q. I occasionally see a fox in my neighborhood. Late in the summer, I saw a young fox running to join two adult foxes. Do male foxes help raise their young?

A . Let’s turn to Ilo Hiller’s 1990 book, “Introducing Mammals to Young Naturalists.” Hiller’s text is also available on the Texas Parks Wildlife website.

Let’s start at the beginning of the fox family life cycle. Hiller writes, “The breeding season for the red fox in Texas begins early in the year, and the shrill squalls of the female (vixen) bring answering barks from any nearby males. If more than one male responds to her call, they compete for her attention. The winner of the resulting fight gets her.