What is the taboo against "fox"? On the Wiki page for 自贡话民俗特色词汇列表 there's an entry that says:


  
  毛狗：狐狸(民间因犯忌讳而改称)。
  


What is the taboo against 狐狸 (fox) though?

Is there some relation to 狸 being a homophone with 利?
The taboo is just due to the general view that foxes are inauspicious/trickster/fierce animals.

Reference 1 (https://new.qq.com/omn/20171112/20171112A08Q1T.html):


  蜀话中的忌讳说凶恶动物，例如蛇在四川话中的讳称有“梭老二”、“梭梭”、“干黄鳝”、“长虫”等，老虎在四川话中的讳称有“猫猫”、“大猫”、“大头猫”、“扁担花”等，狐狸在四川话中的讳称为“毛狗”，老鼠在鼠话中的讳称有“耗子”、“老水子”、“高客”、“喜马”等。


Reference 2 (https://wenku.baidu.com/view/7890ddc05fbfc77da269b180.html):


  俗传狐狸成精后,会变成女人害人,故成都、重庆、南川、阆中、泸州、西充、綦江、金堂、仪陇、云阳等地改称为“毛 狗”。