As any animal lover knows, many creatures have personalities that are as distinct as humans. The common practice of naming, for instance, establishes this sense of individualism, an idea that photographer Roeselien Raimond exercises in her series Faces of Foxes. After years of capturing the fascinating species, she came to understand them each a little differently. “To me, their faces are so personal that it’s almost impossible to mix them up,” she told us in an email. “I noticed, though, that for many people, a fox is just a fox.”
Faces of Foxes demonstrates the unique way in which Raimond sees these creatures. Although she didn’t actively look for individual personalities, they eventually revealed themselves to her. “What struck me most, is that not only do they act very differently, but also look completely different,” she explains. “The color and length of their fur varies a lot, just like the shape and size of their eyes, the length of their nose, the roundness of their ears. No fox is the same.”
Raimond has identified 12 “types” of foxes, given them each a name, and written about their character traits—she’s even assigned them a personal motto! When asked which fox she identifies with, Raimond can’t pick just one. “I think a combination of Eager Fox and Hyper fox,” she says. “They’re enthusiastic, highly curious, venturous. They walk their own path, are a little dominant and quite intense, but very sweet and caring as well. These contrasts are quite familiar to me.”
Check out Raimond’s portraits and writing below. Which fox personality are you?
Smiling Fox
The mother of all foxes. Almost literally. Relaxed must have been her middle name and enjoying her second nature. Being the personification of satisfaction itself, she could just calmly sit in the sun for hours and hours, watching her grandchildren play and relish this sight. Moreover, she was living proof that animals can smile.
Motto: It’s all right. It always has been and always will be.
Miss Fox
Quite a character; a fox with attitude. No one ever mocked this lady, not even her little fox kits. Go to Mom’s authority; bite guaranteed. And with the looks. With her bright red, full coat, her slender muscular body, long straight nose, proud ears and irresistible smokey eyes, she would win any beauty contest with ease. Probably she was less talented with regard to her choice of men, since most of her offspring wasn’t blessed with her beauty, but born with a jaw abnormality instead.
Motto: I’m too sexy for this site.
Hunter Fox
This lady in red was standing front row when red coats were distributed. Never before I saw a fox with such a perfect red cloak. The same goes for the distribution of self-confidence and courage. As a young fox she proved to be a mistress in making perfect mouse jumps. While her siblings lied lazily in the sun, she fanatically worked on her pouncing skills. And this discipline paid off; nowadays she bets higher and may call herself the mistress of chasing rabbits.
Motto: You say jump, I say “How High?”
Funny Fox
Should fox humor exist… she’s definitely got it! As well as a huge fox heart. When her big sister left the parental territory, she decided, against all fox mores, to come along. As a reward for room and board she treated her sister with a daily cleanup. When the Queen Mum died, she became alpha fox willy-nilly. Someone’s got to the job, right? From airy joker, she turned into a lady who knows the ropes. By resolutely wiping mothers lovers from the territory, she claimed direct order. She may be one of the smallest foxes, but size does not matter in fox country. Owning the biggest mouth does.
Motto: It’s a woman’s world.
One-Of-A-Fox
Being the smallest and weakest of the litter, she worked her way up to crowd pleaser. Rightly so. She had tough competition to her beauty queen mum, but won the race on character points. With her uniqueness, she became the uncrowned princess of the dunes. And despite her slightly misshapen jaw and unfoxy coat, she was a beauty as well. She proved that an animal has a free will and is able to make her own personal choices.
Motto: I did it my way.
Old Dog Fox
When I first met him he was already very old. As one happy grandpa on a bench at the jeu de boules, he was sitting in the sun. With a face only a mother could love and his unabashed attitude, he made me laugh. Had he been a man, he would, like an old expired hippy, go on and on about his childhood mischief.
Motto: Happy happy joy joy.
Serious Fox
The most respectable fox of the class. Unlike almost all other foxes, she actually has no bad habits at all. She therefore is the only one who actually behaves by the book and does exactly what you would expect from a red fox. She hunts mice, she sleeps, she eats, she cares for posterity, brings them up and chases her boys away as soon as they reach adolescence. You won’t find them neater. And not more boring either. (sorry, Serious Fox!)
Motto: Why not so serious?
Don Fox
The Don Juan of foxes. Before reaching the age of one year, during mating season, he ran through the dunes like a madman. No female fox could resist this sad, intense gaze. All female foxes, from minor to elderly, he wrapped around his paw effortlessly. Big chance that in the the future the dunes will be flooded with little fox kits with this intriguing sad glance…
Motto: Who’s your daddy?!
Eager Fox
As a young fox her favorite thing in the world was to steal just dug up lizards from her brother. This hunting technique was successful until puberty, when little brother suddenly became big bro and revised ratios. Since that time she has improved her hunting techniques, specializing in the looting of nests. Once a thief, always a thief, but a very sweet thief indeed!
Motto: Better well stolen than badly invented.
Hyper Fox
Small enthusiastic madcap with grand ambitions to succeed her mother as alpha fox; the sooner the better. She bended the fox rules by becoming teenage mom. She dominates the biggest and strongest men with her own secret weapon: terrible hysterical squeaking that makes the biggest fox shrimp. And all this is totally compensated by her wonderful sweet character and a gorgeous smile, she inherited from her grandmother.
Motto: It’s mine, even though it’s not.
Modest Fox
Lacking a mirror, he will never know how irresistibly handsome he is and is doomed to remain the modesty itself. Never will he thrust itself upon on and beau as he is (or just afraid of another shouting match) he let go of all females. No matter how agitated it gets, he will keep his composure. Always. And wait quietly.
Motto: My time will come. Maybe. One day.
Beaten Fox
Aight. This guy may look like the Mike Tyson among foxes, with his imposing shaggy stature and scarred face. But looks can be deceiving and you couldn’t be further from the truth. This is the sissy among foxes. Even the smallest female fox gets him squeaking on the floor effortlessly. He is a softy that’s literally scarred by a heavy fox’ live. He probably thinks back with nostalgia to the days when the vixen accepted him as a partner in his territory, removed his ticks and licked his wounds. Fox life can be hard and regrettably the heyday of romance and loving care are over for him.
Motto: Life’s a b*tch.
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My Modern Met granted permission to use photos and text by Roeselien Raimond.