A rather special, almost 18 minute long, single take of a Red Fox Vulpes vulpes vixen grooming a dog fox, and a film that is worth watching in its entirety. This behaviour wasn't predicted beforehand, as the dog fox was already in the process of being filmed when the vixen arrived. She subsequently reduced him to a state of total relaxation, sometimes using slightly unconventional methods to gain access to his ears! This behaviour is hierarchical within a family group and between the sexes, and it reinforces pair-bonding. It also performs a very useful function by assisting with grooming the parts of the animal that can only be reached with difficulty using the hindlegs, dew-claws or teeth, and also by removing ectoparasites and any hairs shed from the thick winter coat during moulting (the incisors, six top, six bottom, are used like combs, and sometimes the fur comes out in chunks!). This was the lengthiest grooming session that the photographer had witnessed, and both animals were fully aware that they were being observed.
21 сен 2024
