Red fox: The Catlike Canine (Smithsonian Nature Book)

"Red Fox: The Catlike Canine" by J. David Henry First off, this book is a gem if for no other reason than that Red Foxes are such fascinating creatures. Henry is an ethologist - a scientist who studies animal behaviors and his book bears that imprint. A goodly amount of text is devoted to his methodologies and conjectures - all things that would interest other scientists and advanced amateur Nature students. HOWEVER.... Any animal lover, Nature-watcher, or just plain curious person will probably find this book interesting in spite of having to wade through a bit scientific mud once in a while. It is a classic illustration of how Nature and wildlife should be approached and studied so the student can actually understand the "what" and "why" of the things they see. Not that the Nature buff needs all the math and discipline, not at all.It is the "way of seeing" demonstrated in this book that will reward the Nature-watcher with the intimate knowledge of, and connection to, whatever their chosen subject is. Red Foxes, like all the rest of Nature, are a sort of jig-saw puzzle. If you can find the Logic and put it together you are rewarded with a spendid picture. This book gives the reader a tantalizing glimpse of just how it is done.

I'm so pleased I found this book! Ever since I saw a fox carrying a bird in its mouth across my lawn I've wanted to learn more about these elusive animals. The only books I could find in the library were written for children, so they were only about a dozen pages. This book is full of behavioral research and gave me a good insight into a fox's mind. There are also many pictures, a few of them in beautiful color. It does get a little technical at times (especially in a section describing an experiment to learn more about food caching behavior). This is not a field guide (for example, I wouldn't use it to try and identify what kind of fox has claimed my yard as its territory). As the title suggests, it's specific research conducted on the Red Fox and it's for people like me that want to learn as much as possible about a little-understood creature.

This is more for scientist than your average every day tracker. There's a lot of science involved here it's a little bit dry but if you're a scientist it is excellent. He spent decades in Alaska studying and following other people's research. The number one researcher of the red fox, in my opinion. Fascinating peculiar idiosyncratic characteristics of this amazing vixen. If you love watching red foxes and you want to understand behavior-and you can tolerate some dry reading I would recommend it. This Man devoted his life to studying the red fox-it's worth the money. Besides, you can just read the good parts if you can't tolerate the science and the detail of this book has extraordinary detail and explains everything he says it's not just a guidebook

I was fascinated by Mr. Henry's in-depth work, based on his years of observing these beautiful creatures in northern Canada. The photography is stunning - a testament to Mr. Henry's ability to put his subject totally at ease with his presence. The writing is excellent - reflecting, Mr. Henry's passion for his subject. There is ample evidence to show why this animal is called "catlike" - a surprising observation given the sharp differences in habit we usually associate with the two species.

Some authors research other biologist's work, do a good job and write a good book on an animal. Mr. Henry is a different kind of author. He is a biologist first, author second. He has spent the "dirt time", learning about fox through observation, then thinking about the behaviors he observed, brainstorming with his peers, then testing his ideas to explain the ecological role of fox, what makes them tick. My copy is marked all over with my notes and major points are underlined. I find myself going back to it to read a chapter again. It is a pleasure to read this book from an author who has spent a considerable part of his career learning about fox. I think everyone will appreciate the red fox more after reading this book.

The popular understanding of foxes falls short of the marvelous complexity and reality of this wonderful animal. This book reveals a complex social structure and behavior patterns and many other attractive aspects of vulpine life, which can be seen first hand by anyone even in cities who has foxes on their property. I would often watch young foxes at play or hunting from my bedroom widow. This book helped me understand them. My only complaint is that the small type face (which I think is Helvetica) is difficult to read. It caused me eye strain.

I am convinced that J. David Henry knows more about red foxes than any other human. And if you have an almost religious fascination with foxes, Henry is your prophet. He is obviously charmed by these creatures and is willing to pursue every facet of their behavior to discover the reason for it. This wonderful book is the product of many years of research, from both his own personal field experience and the borrowed experience of other biologists. Fortunately for the reader, Henry is also a gifted storyteller. If his goal was to make red foxes relatable and relevant to our own lives, then he succeeded.In this revised edition of the book, there are eight pages of color photographs of red foxes. Further, the scientific evidence gathered by the author suggests that red foxes migrated into North America long before Europeans settled it. For more fox facts, read this book.

This was a fascinating book to read. The author really spent a lot of time with the fox and knows it well. I have watched two fox on my property all summer and I so agree with the authors observations. He detailed too much evolution type information in the book. It would have been better if he had just discussed the fox and not evolution.

This book has a wealth of information about foxes. Much of it is scientific observation (which I personally like) that some people may find too detailed but there is enough general information to be a valuable addition to anyone's library that has an interest in these amazing animals. Well written from an expert in the field. Highly recommended.

Crammed with information and pictures, a good reference book and teaches you a lot. I was pleased to give this book as a gift at Christmas to my niece who has foxes in her garden.

I wanted to learn more recent research into fox biology and behaviour etc and this book was right on point for me.