Life in Newburgh on Ythan

By Talpa

Five a day

These are red-fox turds. Foxes put their excrement to good use by using them to scent mark their territories. To help ensure that other foxes find them, and thus get the message that they are trespassing, the fox often places his droppings at nose height, on conspicuous objects, in this case atop a mole hill.

I guess that most people think of foxes as meat-eating, full blooded carnivores. In fact they are remarkably omnivorous and the foxes on Forvie Moor are currently feasting on the fruit of crowberries which are very common in the area. I don't know how much nourishment they get from the berries since, as you can see, they seem to pass through the fox rather intact and undigested. Anyway, old Reynard is certainly getting his 5-a-day at the moment, although he does need to learn to chew his food properly!

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