Final answer:
Wolves typically don't bother foxes due to resource partitioning and the low return on energy expenditure compared to hunting larger prey. Predators often evolve strategies to coexist with minimal conflict, and foxes are agile and alert, making them difficult targets for wolves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Wolves may not typically bother foxes for several reasons. One reason is resource partitioning; wolves and foxes often hunt different prey sizes, reducing direct competition. Moreover, foxes are generally not sufficient food sources to justify the energy expense of wolves hunting them. Furthermore, wolves hunting in packs are more effective at taking down larger prey such as caribou, which is more nutritionally rewarding. Predatory animals also follow the principle of optimal foraging, which dictates that they are more likely to pursue prey that maximizes their energy intake relative to the energy expended.
Another aspect of predator behavior influencing this dynamic is that different species typically evolve strategies that allow them to coexist with minimal conflict, such as different hunting times or territories. Lastly, foxes are very alert and agile, making them difficult targets for larger predators like wolves, whose hunting strategies are more suited to larger, less agile prey.