A Discriminant Analysis of the Current Distribution of Urban Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Britain

(1) With data from a survey of the distribution of urban foxes in Britain and from a sociological analysis of the differences between 157 towns in England and Wales, a discriminant analysis is used to explain the appearance and current distribution of urban foxes. (2) It is demonstrated that the cha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of animal ecology 1986-06, Vol.55 (2), p.605-611
Main Authors: Harris, S., Rayner, J. M. V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cities
Demecology
Discriminants
Foxes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Housing
Suburbs
Towns
Urban areas
Urban habitats
Urban sociology
Vulpes vulpes
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Summary:(1) With data from a survey of the distribution of urban foxes in Britain and from a sociological analysis of the differences between 157 towns in England and Wales, a discriminant analysis is used to explain the appearance and current distribution of urban foxes. (2) It is demonstrated that the change in housing policy in the 1930s, producing extensive low-density, owner-occupied residential suburbs, provided an ideal habitat for urban foxes. Once these suburbs had been colonized in the inter-war years, the foxes subsequently moved further into many cities to colonize less favoured habitats. (3) The rarity of urban foxes in most northern and eastern towns, where the incidence of council-rented housing and of industry is high, is explained in the light of these habitat requirements.
ISSN:0021-8790
1365-2656
DOI:10.2307/4742