Fox roadkill

dogmatix

I've noticed a big increase in dead foxes on various roads around wicklow - especially the N81 over the last three weeks. Anyone else noticed this? Has there been a fox population increase over the summer? I did notice a lot of foxes around in the first three months of the year around wicklow.

Ulmus

By September/October young foxes, particularly young males, are chased away by their parents to establish their own territories. Many are killed on the roads trying to fend for themselves.
http://www.nfws.org.uk/fox-calendar-of-events.html

fits

Agree, its young foxes. Its the same every year.

Day Lewin

The annual scattering of the adolescents. It's carnage, year after year; but that's evolution in action.

We have to assume that the fastest and smartest are the ones that survive, to find their own mates and territories for the next season.

A certain number do not scatter, but remain with the parental group or with siblings, to spend one more year as unmated youngsters while gaining maturity, strength and skills in hunting, defense and cub-rearing, experiences which will stand to their benefit in the long term.

Interslice

Out for a stroll last night I seen a fox walking towards me along the same path so I stopped. He was no more than 10 feet away walking straight towards me before he copped I was standing there. Think he might of walked even closer or right into me if it wasn't for the sound of the dog coming thundering along from behind me for his bit of a fox chase. Thought he would have noticed me a scarpered straight away.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

katemarch wrote: »

The annual scattering of the adolescents. It's carnage, year after year; but that's evolution in action.

We have to assume that the fastest and smartest are the ones that survive, to find their own mates and territories for the next season.

A certain number do not scatter, but remain with the parental group or with siblings, to spend one more year as unmated youngsters while gaining maturity, strength and skills in hunting, defense and cub-rearing, experiences which will stand to their benefit in the long term.

Just to be pedantic: the involvement of motor traffic does not play a part in evolution. Also, this notion that individually faster or smarter animals surviving is evolutionary is a misinterpretation of the phrase "survival of the fittest". The term refers to reproductive success or as Darwin said - Survival of the form that will leave the most copies of itself in successive generations." The form being the species and not the individual.
Anyway, that's my rant over. It's just that I hear so many referring to the life or death of individuals in evolutionary terms so often and it perpetuates the misunderstanding.

Day Lewin

@Srameen. Beg pardon but I don't entirely agree in this case.

The foxes that have whatever-makes-for-road-survival - maybe longer legs or faster reflexes - are the ones that don't get killed: hence they are the ones that DO get to breed eventually and pass those qualities on to the next generation.

That's what I meant, anyway - simplistic maybe - but that's how it has to happen. After X generations of co-existing with road traffic, there ought to be more of those faster, longer-legged, sharper-eyed or whatever it is, than of slow, short-sighted or deaf ones: and those will be the ones breeding, too -- hence, the DNA profile will gradually look different over generations...et cetera, in saecula saeculorum.

Never read the actual Darwin book. This is my plain and simple understanding of how it works. And granting the need for adaptivity, in genetic diversity and variation.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

katemarch wrote: »

@Srameen. Beg pardon but I don't entirely agree in this case.

The foxes that have whatever-makes-for-road-survival - maybe longer legs or faster reflexes - are the ones that don't get killed: hence they are the ones that DO get to breed eventually and pass those qualities on to the next generation.

That's what I meant, anyway - simplistic maybe - but that's how it has to happen. After X generations of co-existing with road traffic, there ought to be more of those faster, longer-legged, sharper-eyed or whatever it is, than of slow, short-sighted or deaf ones: and those will be the ones breeding, too -- hence, the DNA profile will gradually look different over generations...et cetera, in saecula saeculorum.

Never read the actual Darwin book. This is my plain and simple understanding of how it works. And granting the need for adaptivity, in genetic diversity and variation.

It's more a matter of those that happen to cross when there is no traffic don't get killed, than an trait that leads to road sense.

I suggest you read Darwin, it's a great read.
Give Dawkins a go too.

The notion of faster or longer legs in an individual is a misconception of the entire theory of evolution however.

Day Lewin

notion of faster or longer legs in an individual is a misconception of the entire theory of evolution however.

....but surely long legs can run in families? ;-)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

katemarch wrote: »

notion of faster or longer legs in an individual is a misconception of the entire theory of evolution however.

....but surely long legs can run in families? ;-)

Family traits and species evolution - big difference.