I met an ex-coworker woman of my wife some years back. She lived on an acreage & had some out buildings. A large barn, a large corn crib & a few other smaller buildings. She had a pair of Red Fox. That denned under her wooden slatted corn crib. That female had denned there for a number of years. The last 3 years. She had 11 kits 2x & 14 kits 1x. The last of those 3 continual years. The female had 14 kits. During the early summer of those 14 kits live's. She seen another fox visit that old female & her kits. The woman thought it was a female from the previous year's litter. She coined the phrase "nanny fox". Because she thought the outsider fox. Came to help raise that litter of 14.
As that unknown fox made herself at home. With the old female & her litter. That woman told me, "It must be a nanny fox" That came to help the old female raise her litter?
When she called the out sider fox a nanny. I chuckled. I said, "It was probably a female yearling from. The previous litter of the old female". That is why it was readily accepted. To spend the day with the old female & this years litter.
Anyway....that outsider fox. Only spent 1 day with the old female & her litter. Then it left the area & was not seen again on that acreage. It has become obvious to me over my hunt years. Red Fox tolerate other pairs of red fox. Sometimes denning very close to each other. Not knowing for an exact fact. I believe those close den sites. Those females are related, to the old alpha female. So their overlapping territories/trespassing, is much more tolerated.
As that unknown fox made herself at home. With the old female & her litter. That woman told me, "It must be a nanny fox" That came to help the old female raise her litter?
When she called the out sider fox a nanny. I chuckled. I said, "It was probably a female yearling from. The previous litter of the old female". That is why it was readily accepted. To spend the day with the old female & this years litter.
Anyway....that outsider fox. Only spent 1 day with the old female & her litter. Then it left the area & was not seen again on that acreage. It has become obvious to me over my hunt years. Red Fox tolerate other pairs of red fox. Sometimes denning very close to each other. Not knowing for an exact fact. I believe those close den sites. Those females are related, to the old alpha female. So their overlapping territories/trespassing, is much more tolerated.