FoxTrack

FoxTrack is a collaboration between ecologists and engineers that develops and utilizes GPS collars to track wild red foxes in the cultural landscape of southern Norway.

The Project

  • Description

    The red fox is one of the most adaptable and widespread carnivore species. The red fox has many roles from an ecological perspective. They play an important role as predators for a wide range of species, from insects to medium-size mammals and birds. They are seed disperses and disease carriers. They compete with humans for game and are game themselves. The red fox preys on livestock. Despite their ubiquitousness and cultural significance, we still need to learn more about their ecology and behavior.

    FoxTrack follows the red fox through the landscape to get a more detailed understanding of their behavior and area use.

    fox release
  • Objectives

    1. Understand the area use and movements of the red fox in the cultural landscape and thereby assist in the management of red foxes.

    2. Improve our prerequisites for monitoring wildlife on different scales.

    3. Reduce the invasiveness of telemetry use by technological developments.

  • Methods

    By collaring red foxes with light GPS collars we can follow them through the landscape. The focus of the project is on brief and intense monitoring: several thousand GPS positions are collected every day and gives an insight into habitat use and movements in outstanding detail.

    GPS-tag

  • Team Members

Publications

01 Jan 2017 - 31 Dec 2025

NMBU and the Norwegian Environment Agency