Unrevealing the Opportunistic Fishing Behavior of the Red Fox

Abstract

Photo 1. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) searching for European carps (Cyprinus carpio) in the Valuengo reservoir shore (2016, Extremadura, Spain). The red fox is a mesocarnivore species that exploits opportunistically a wide range of prey. Photo credit: Jorge Tobajas. Photo 2. European carp (Cyprinus carpio) spawning on the shore of Valuengo reservoir (2016, Extremadura, Spain). Photo credit: Jorge Tobajas. Photo 3. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) stalking and waiting for the moment to hunt one of the European carp (Cyprinus carpio) that are distracted by their reproduction (2016, Extremadura, Spain). Photo credit: Jorge Tobajas. Photo 4. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) hunting a European carp (Cyprinus carpio) in the Valuengo reservoir shore (2016, Extremadura, Spain). Photo credit: Jorge Tobajas. Photo 5. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) caching a large European carp (Cyprinus carpio) at the shore to be consumed later by itself, its mate, or fed to its pups (2016, Extremadura, Spain). Photo credit: Jorge Tobajas. These photographs illustrate the article “Fishing behavior in the red fox: opportunistic-caching behavior or surplus killing?” by Jorge Tobajas and Francisco Díaz-Ruiz published in Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3814