# What is this animal that visited my front porch at 3:30 AM today? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2022, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746 "2022-10-25T09:31:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/21 "2022-10-26T05:52:06Z")
I subscribe to Hourly Fox on Twitter. A great many photos are shot at nighttime in a big city that I’ve always identified as London. The only pics I don’t like are of fennecs (they just look evil) and one or more women who dress up and pose with them. They’re wild animals, not props. Likewise not crazy about keeping them as pets, but I’m not as offended by them. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/22 "2022-10-26T11:07:34Z")
I came home from work one day at 3 pm to find a red fox sitting in our yard. I pulled into the garage and secured our dogs. When I went outside the fox stood up and began slowly stalking me. I ran inside and found my shotgun. I took the fox to the department of agriculture and they found it was rabid. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/23 "2022-10-26T11:12:14Z")
> [@cincinnatus](#): > > Nice-looking fox you have thee. So, it is correct to say it is a “foxxy fox”? 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/24 "2022-10-26T11:20:23Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > Gray foxes are one of only two members of its genus thought to be extant. The foxes are dominated by _Vulpes_ nowadays. There are several extinct varieties of _Urocyon_. New Jersey might not be known for its wildlife but we have red and grey fox here and I’ve seen both. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/25 "2022-10-26T13:06:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I ran inside and found my shotgun. I took the fox to the department of agriculture and they found it was rabid. I suppose you meant you took the remaining fragments of the fox to the Department of Agriculture. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/26 "2022-10-26T13:34:57Z")
Heh, actually I circled around the animal so I had a safe backdrop, then aimed my 16 gauge pump at his hind 1/4s. I did a good job preserving the skull/brain which is what the lab needs. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/27 "2022-10-26T13:57:14Z")
Every bit of this post is foreign to me as an urban dweller. We occasionally see red foxes in NJ and it’s always a cool thing. I wouldn’t think twice about the time of day of seeing the fox. I wouldn’t think to secure the dogs. It would be weird if I saw it stalking me. No shotgun to grab, and it wouldn’t occur to me to do so. Finally, if I had dispatched a fox, I wouldn’t even imagine taking it to the department of agriculture (ewww… it’s probably covered in ticks! And do I just put it in a black trash bag?). My worry would be that I would get there and they would tell me I had hunted fox outside of the official season (probably an arcane schedule that rivals the formula for calculating the date of Easter) and I would be jailed for twenty years. Nope, I know nothing of rural life! ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/28 "2022-10-26T14:22:57Z")
Urban or rural, if you see a mammal acting in a way that is very unusual, you should consider the possibility of rabies. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/29 "2022-10-26T14:34:05Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > if you see a mammal acting in a way that is very unusual, you should consider the possibility of rabies. This!!! > [@minor7flat5](#): > > if I had dispatched a fox, I wouldn’t even imagine taking it to the department of agriculture (ewww… it’s probably covered in ticks! And do I just put it in a black trash bag?). I examined the animal (it was young, still had its deciduous canine teeth) and placed it in an empty feed sack, of course! > [@minor7flat5](#): > > I wouldn’t think twice about the time of day of seeing the fox. I’ve seen foxes a handful of times, typically at dusk, and then only a blur as it ran off. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/30 "2022-10-26T14:41:53Z")
No arguments here! It’s just something that is way off my radar. Around here, I am more concerned about two-legged mammals acting in a way that is very unusual. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/31 "2022-10-26T14:49:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I examined the animal (it was young, still had its deciduous canine teeth) and placed it in an empty feed sack, of course! Having never seen an actual feed sack in my life, I have a silly image in my mind of an irate Depression-era woman giving you a piece of her mind about the waste–she wouldn’t be able to make a [feed sack dress](https://flashbak.com/feed-sack-fashions-and-patterns-of-depression-era-america-374786/) out of it! (though I suspect the fancy feed sack fabrics went out of vogue in the 40’s) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/32 "2022-10-26T14:54:06Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Having never seen an actual feed sack in my life, Now we know what to get you this xmas. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/33 "2022-10-26T15:05:02Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Every bit of this post is foreign to me as an urban dweller. I (the OP) am an urban dweller. I live within walking distance of a major downtown area. Those animals are around. You just haven’t seen them. Yet. They know how to be invisible. [https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/160418-animals-urban-cities-wildlife-science-coyotes](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/160418-animals-urban-cities-wildlife-science-coyotes) ---
**Author:** ![motu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/motu/32/259_2.png) [@motu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/motu)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/34 "2022-10-26T18:31:01Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > > [@cincinnatus](#): > > > > Nice-looking fox you have thee. > > So, it is correct to say it is a “foxxy fox”? 😆 Only if it is on the run. Then, it would be Sweet. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kRv7EjjwYBI/maxresdefault.jpg "Sweet - Fox On The Run - 45 (OFFICIAL)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRv7EjjwYBI) ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/35 "2022-10-26T23:52:48Z")
The animal I had the hardest time identifying was a ringtail cat on my back porch. I originally thought immature raccoon, but figured it out the next day. I have a nest camera in my garage, mainly to answer the question “did I shut the garage door?”, but one night a spider walked in front of the camera, casting a shadow from the camera’s infrared light. I have to say that was the creepiest animal my camera ever caught. It looked like the special effects from a 50’s horror movie. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/36 "2022-10-27T01:44:09Z")
I live in a Chicago suburb, and it is an unusual week that we don’t see at least 1 red fox. Fox and coyotes thrive among people. Most people just don’t see them often. That grey fox sure is pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/37 "2022-10-27T02:15:22Z")
I’m an urban-dweller, too, and if I ever saw a fox or coyote that didn’t make an effort to run and/or hide when it saw me, I’d suspect rabies, too. I don’t have any firearms, but I’d definitely call animal control. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/38 "2022-10-27T02:53:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I don’t have any firearms, but I’d definitely call animal control. One reason I have a walking stick. Not the insect. It will buy one a little time, at least. One of my sticks has a metal heel made of about 6" of chrome-moly steel that I cut off the top of a bicycle fork, crammed onto the end, so that should slow most sub-cougar-sized animals down considerably. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/39 "2022-10-28T09:53:51Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Every bit of this post is foreign to me as an urban dweller. > > We occasionally see red foxes in NJ and it’s always a cool thing. > > I wouldn’t think twice about the time of day of seeing the fox. I wouldn’t think to secure the dogs. It would be weird if I saw it stalking me. No shotgun to grab, and it wouldn’t occur to me to do so. > > Finally, if I had dispatched a fox, I wouldn’t even imagine taking it to the department of agriculture (ewww… it’s probably covered in ticks! And do I just put it in a black trash bag?). > > My worry would be that I would get there and they would tell me I had hunted fox outside of the official season (probably an arcane schedule that rivals the formula for calculating the date of Easter) and I would be jailed for twenty years. > > Nope, I know nothing of rural life! In NJ it’s very common for fox to have rabies. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746/40 "2022-10-28T14:47:51Z")
Thankfully the last one I witnessed was from the safety of my car. I’ll watch out for Jersey foxes from now on! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-animal-that-visited-my-front-porch-at-3-30-am-today/973746.md?page=3)