Foxes

Foxes are omnivorous, small to medium-sized animals that fall under the family Canidae. They feature a long bushy tail, a pointed, slightly raised nose, erect triangular ears, and a flattened skull (or brush).

Omnivores include foxes. Invertebrates like insects and small vertebrates like reptiles and birds make up the majority of their food. They could also consume plants and eggs. While many species of predators are generalists, some (like the fox that eats crabs) have more specialized diets. The majority of fox species eat about 1 kilogram of food each day. Foxes store extra food for later use by burying it, typically under soil, snow, or leaves. Foxes have a specific pouncing method they utilize when hunting in which they hunch down to blend with the landscape and then spring up strongly onto their target prey using their rear legs. They can then grab the victim by the neck and shake it until it is dead or easily enough to be disemboweled using their prominent canine teeth.

Given that squirrels can be found practically anywhere, it makes sense that they will also encounter foxes. People mistake foxes for being incredibly smart despite the fact that they are extremely lethal predators of smaller animals. The majority of foxes' food is undoubtedly ground squirrels, unless a flying or tree squirrel believes it would be a good idea to pick up something from the ground. Overall, it seems clear that foxes pose a significant threat to squirrel populations. Furthermore, it's doubtful that there will be enough squirrels in a group for a fox to be alarmed, therefore travelling in a group is not really advantageous for squirrels.