Daytime use of various types of whole-year shelters in farmed silver foxes ( Vulpes vulpes) and blue foxes ( Alopex lagopus)

Abstract

The use of four different whole-year shelters was examined in 50 silver- and 50 blue-fox vixens in the autumn and winter months from November 1987 to February 1988 and from August 1988 to March 1989. Observations were not carried out during breeding. All vixens had free access to a top box with an underlying shelf, a side box and an open box. The location of the vixens was determined by the use of regularly performed scan samplings with a sampling interval of 10 min. After a short period of becoming accustomed to the shelters both species showed a preference for the shelf and the top box. Silver foxes spent most time on the shelf, whereas blue foxes spent most time in the top box. Blue foxes were observed in the shelters twice as frequently as silver foxes. When disturbed, most of the silver foxes fled from the experimenter to the opposite side of the cage; some fled into the top box. Most of the blue foxes fled into the top box when disturbed and some fled into the side box. It was suggested that these differences between species were reflecting greater general timidity in the blue fox or different behavioural strategies towards danger in the two species.