Foxes make a variety of different sounds including barks, screams, howls, squeals, and gekkering. Recent studies have identified 12 different sounds produced by adults and 8 by kits. Two of the most commonly-heard calls are the bark and scream, perhaps because these are the loudest and can be heard for some distance. Another common call is the wow wow wow contact call, which sounds more like a bird than a fox. Foxes can also make a raspy bark, which scientists believe they use to identify themselves and communicate with other foxes. Additionally, foxes can make a high-pitched howl thats almost like a scream, which scientists believe might be used as a mating call. Gray foxes make dog-like barking noises used for self-defense. Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae.