"Your nose is before your eyes, so trust it first" |
Foxes seem to distinguish scents very specifically. A forest might smell generically of pine to us, but a fox can differentiate between the leaves, a rotting log, and a squirrels cache of pine cones. They see the world in vivid detail using their long noses, perhaps as well as humans see the world with their eyes. 
All thebetter to smell you with.. |
Canines get their powerful sense of smell from the numerous glands in their nose. These glands are called "olfactory receptors". The black pad you see at the end of a fox snout is only the tip of the actual nose; it occupies the entire muzzle. Foxes have over 200,000,000 scent receptors in their nose! One of the most obvious reasons for a refined sense of smell is sniffing out food. A fox can not only tell where another animal is, but where it might have been. Considering how closely taste and smell are linked, we also suspect foxes can detect what food might make them sick.
Trees: Natures phone book |
Smells are also an important communication medium. You may have observed how domestic dogs are fond of sniffing and urinating on fire hydrants. That's because such objects make perfect "bulletin boards" of social information. Foxes do the same thing to trees, by reading the posts with their noses, and leaving a note with their own scent glands or urine. Another way foxes use the scents in their urine is to mark their territory. Since every fox has a unique odor, it becomes a signature to ward off other foxes from intruding. Poor weather and time can dilute the scent after a few days, so it must be refreshed frequently. On a windy day some scents might carry for miles, giving foxes a clear map of the area. In this way foxes have a built-in GPS to guide their travel.
A fox sensitizes his nose
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A study done by J. David Henry uncovered that foxes also use urine as a bookkeeping method. While scavenging, a fox might visit hundreds of locations in search of food. When a fox needs to cross a spot off his list, he'll mark the spot with urine. This makes it easier to dismiss previously investigated scents on future trips. During mating season, the fox uses a more delicate scent, from a gland on the tail. This fragrance tells other foxes about possible mating opportunities, and can be a relationship starter for young adults. Foxes also imprint droppings with glands located between their legs, and leave markers with glands between their toes. To humans all of these scents combine to form a distinctive "fox smell", likening it to a skunk, but it's a matter of opinion. Foxes probably think humans smell pretty strange too. | 
