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Foxes have made quite a name for themselves in European mythology.

Aesop’s fables are littered with tales about the crafty creature who constantly flatters and tries to outwit its animal friends.

One tale tells of a crow who holds a piece of cheese in her beak. The fox spies her in a tree and calls to her, saying “Oh fair bird! How shapely and regal you are. If only your voice were as beautiful as your appearance, then you would be a queen indeed.” Flattered by the fox’s observations, the crow could not resist the temptation to show how well she sang. But as soon as she opened her mouth in song, the piece of cheese fell to the ground, and the fox gobbled it up and smiled at her, commenting on her unfortunate lack of wit. Aesop’s moral, of course, pointed out that flatterers should never be trusted.

Foxes indeed demonstrate clever sensibility. They are capable of living very stealthy lives among human habitation from Africa to Europe and Asia, the Arctic down through South America. Possessing keen sight, smell and hearing allow foxes to make their homes any place that rodents can be found. You see, these members of the dog family are very skilled hunters, and they thrive in areas where rodents abound. In fact, red foxes were introduced to Australia to help minimize a plague of rabbits—a job that they must have enjoyed. Because they do love to eat. They will eat lots of things—ranging from mice, rabbits, voles and bird’s eggs to fruit, carrion and insects. Foxes prefer to hunt alone, and can run as fast as 30 miles per hour! They inhabit forests, farmland, wood lots, desert regions and chaparral. Their ability to live without being noticed, while hunting to their heart’s content supports the theory that foxes are wily creatures.

A couple of distinct types of foxes exist today. They include the red fox, the gray fox, the swift fox and the arctic fox. The red fox is the most common species of fox. It weighs about 15 pounds, and can grow to be 42 inches in length. The red fox is extremely territorial and is thought to choose a single mate to spend its life with. It can be found in North America and Europe, and is the species that people generally depict when illustrating a stereotypical fox.

The gray fox weighs less than the red fox, and has a very distinctive trait– it is the only member of the dog family to be able to climb trees. It inhabits bush country and forests from South America to Canada. Another type of fox is the swift fox that is a nocturnal, skittish creature. The swift fox is also called a kit fox. Then there’s the arctic fox that sports a white coat in winter and a brown coat in summer. Its ears are shorter and coated with a heavy fur that enables the animal to retain heat more readily. In general, foxes are characteristically smaller than their cousins the wolves, coyotes and jackals. Foxes all possess triangular ears, bushy tails and short legs.

Keep your eyes peeled, because there could very well be a clever fox lurking around your neighborhood. Maybe you can learn a few tricks from this clever creature!