Gray Fox

Subject

Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

 

Key Characteristics

The gray fox is not a totally gray animal.  It displays a good deal of red.  The gray parts of the fox are the result of individual hairs being banded with black and white which gives the appearance of gray.  The ventral part of the abdomen, chest, throat and legs are white.  In size it varies from 7 to 15 pounds with the males being slightly larger that the females.  They stand about 12 in. at the shoulder.  Head to tail length is from 32 to 50 in.  It has a thick long body with relative short legs.

 

Gray foxes are true omnivores.  They are nocturnal although, they will occasionally hunt during the day.  They feed on small rodents, eggs, insects, birds, fruits, acorns and berries.  The diet varies with their range.  The gray fox is the only North American canidae capable of climbing trees.  It does so to escape danger or in hunting.        

Habitat

The gray fox ranges from southern Canada to as far south as Venezuela, with most of the population being in the US.  It is present in all four of the southwestern deserts.  They can be found in chaparral, open desert and mountains.  Their dens may be hollow trees, crevices or they may enlarge other animal's burrows.  The burrows will have multiple exits and numerous chambers.  Normally the dens are only used during the mating season and to raise the young.

Adaptations to desert living

Its omnivarous behavior allows it to survive on whatever is present.  Being nocturnal protects it from the heat.

 

Description (life cycle, special interactions, etc.)

Mating season in the southwest is from January to March. The same pair will usually mate for several years to life.   After a gestation of 53 days a liter of one to seven kits is born.  They are weaned about six weeks of age.  The male helps feed them.  The young are able to hunt on their own by four months of age.  The pups will leave the mother in the fall. All foxes generally remain solitary throughout the winter.  In captivity they have lived up to ten years but, of course, in the wild life expectancy would be much shorted. 

 

The fox is prey to coyotes, wolves, cougars, eagles and humans.  Large numbers are trapped every year for their fur but their population remains fairly constant. 

 

I found this organism to be really interesting because:

In spite of heavy trapping, their numbers remain fairly constant.

 

References

Nature Works:  nhptv.org/natureworks/grayfox.htm

DesertUSA;  desertusa.com/nov96/du_gfox.html

Mynarski Forest:  mynarskiforest.prussia.com/ev19gdes.htm