Hearing funny animal noises in the middle of the night

[partygirluk]

Every few weeks I hear this horrible, anguished crying sound from the road outside our house. It goes on for 20-40 seconds or so then stops. Not sure if the howling is coming from one beast or two, since I can't differentiate between the howls of different foxes/cats/dogs.

I go to my window but dont see anything. Except, two months ago I arrived just at the conclusion of the noises and saw two foxes walking off in opposite directions. Neither seemed in a huge hurry/particularly disturbed.

I heard similar but more prolonged sounds when at a friend's house: her area is also populated by foxes.

I think it is probably one of three things

i) A fox attacking a cat
ii) Some weird mating call
iii) Foxes fighting with each other.

Can you provide me with some illumination?

[Blarg]

...and realizing they came from you.

Could be two cats. When mating season comes on their calls seem change and get really weird sometimes. Way lower, sometimes quick and repetitive -- I dunno, but some male cats especially can come up with all kinds of weird noises.

[wacki]

Step 1) Get a mic

Step 2) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Step 3) post on OOT

[Los Feliz Slim]

Coyotes in my neighborhood make a lot of noise, that's my vote. They're pretty common.

[daveymck]

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Coyotes in my neighborhood make a lot of noise, that's my vote. They're pretty common.

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I can say with 99% certainty it is not a coyote.

I would guess most likely foxes they make a horrible screetching sound.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Coyotes in my neighborhood make a lot of noise, that's my vote. They're pretty common.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can say with 99% certainty it is not a coyote.

I would guess most likely foxes they make a horrible screetching sound.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why are they making this sound? Whenever I go for a walk in my local park (where the foxes spend most of their time) I never hear anything (though this is during the day time). Just seems to occur at 03:00.

[stigmata]

It's the vixen when she's getting screwed. Honestly. Breeding season at the moment, too.

It's an awful sound, the police get lots of phone call saying that somebody is being raped/battered/murdered.

[daveymck]

If seeing two it could be mating or protecting bounderies. I think when foxes mate the male gets stuck inside the female afterwards for a few minutes so that could be it. They are more nocturnal creatues and would not expect them to be too noisy in the daytime in a place with human activity.

[daveymck]

From this
Website (http://www.yptenc.org.uk/docs/factsheets/animal_facts/red_fox.html)
Breeding. Foxes breed only once a year, most mating occurring in January or early February. Courting foxes can be heard barking or uttering unearthly screams;

[daveymck]

This site (http://www.vulpes.org.uk/map.htm) has got some sound files of the noises foxes make might solve the mystery.

[Rotating Rabbit]

From that site:

"Foxes breed only once a year"..."males usually only mate once".

It must suck to be a fox.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
This site (http://www.vulpes.org.uk/map.htm) has got some sound files of the noises foxes make might solve the mystery.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, those are the noises I hear. Good Link. Just clikced on red_fox_barks.ram and it was reminiscent. So it is just random barking?