The debilitating and often fatal condition of mange in the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes is caused by highly infectious infestations of the skin mite Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows into the superficial layers of skin causing a scab of dried tissue-fluid exudate beneath which mites multiply rapidly. Mite debris including shed exoskeletons, digestive secretions and faeces accumulate under the excavated epidermis causing extreme irritation and skin inflammation. Hair is lost in patches and the naked skin assumes a dark, encrusted appearance with the presence of sloughed but unshed epithelial cells. At this stage the characteristic sweet 'mangy' odour, which may be due to secondary bacterial infection, is evident. Though S. scabiei is most frequently cited as the causative agent, Lloyd (1980) quotes a case of several Foxes in suburban Cheam, Surrey being severely affected by the skin mite Notoedres cati.
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