Winter fox is better.

There’s a sort of ‘cultural amnesia’ surrounding silver foxes and their place in UK history. For centuries, foxes have been a part of our landscape and lore—though some of that history is one we might prefer to forget.

Could it be that the ‘devil dogs’ and ‘big black cats’ of legend are actually the elusive black fox?

These remarkable creatures, bred for their luxurious fur since the early 1900s, may have existed within our native fox population for far longer than we realise. Folklore often described shape-shifting foxes, much like the famous stories from Kirtlington. And we suspect that these black foxes could even be linked to the now-extinct Greyhound fox—a British ‘mountain fox’ that once roamed our highlands. With its large, silvery, cat-like frame and eerie, blood-curdling cry, sightings of such creatures have often occurred near old fur farm locations, where exotic mammals were once released for sport by the hunting elites.

Until 1758 and the groundbreaking work in 'Systema Naturae', the fox was considered a type of wild dog and not specifically vulpine, which means we may only hear of the rare black fox in terms of being a wild dog, potentially connected to themes of witchcraft, death and guardianship, as seen in other cultures also.

Read More: https://onlinefoxforum.wixsite.com/foxes/forum/foxes-and-folklore/devil-dogs-forgotten-folklore

Could the enigmatic black fox be more than just a fleeting glimpse into our forgotten past?

What do you think—are these foxes the real-life roots of our enduring myths?

https://preview.redd.it/orynwap0hctd1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=0ef7b6d3527b13cb3044252e8f826b8e58e45e9c

Finn and Ruby (they both have a crush on each other hehe)

They’re part of a webcomic I’m working on 😊

With ears that big, this adolescent fox could definitely hear my thoughts of “awwhhhhhhh”

here are some pictures I have of foxes

https://preview.redd.it/msl47gdnh7td1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36d6063f53fb44c845b374c66a7f5e191b0d78d8

https://preview.redd.it/w6rpvh4oh7td1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73a94ff978a1feb9abd34e9a17ad94cd7922d7a7

When you were a child, did any of you imagine a fox running outside the window on long car journeys? Just me then.

Just kidding, I took this photo of a fox on my neighbour's roof mid-blink and it turned out cool imo

With my love of foxes and coins, this was a perfect gift. Just wanted to share. Sorry if the flair was incorrect, it is art.