GENERAL INFORMATION

Gray foxes range throughout the US except the northwestern quarter as well as northern Mexico and Baja California. We have gray foxes in our Carolina mountains, but they are rarer on our coast. The gray fox is different from tile other species of fox found in Western NC. A quick way to tell the difference in the gray and red fox is, tile gray fox has a black tip on its tail, and the red fox has a white tip on its tail.

DESCRIPTION

The gray fox weighs between 7 and 13 pounds. It has a salt-and-pepper coat with buffy underfur, usually a median black stripe down its back and long bushy tail, and a black tip on its tail. There can be other color phases - red, cross (red coat with a darkish strip down the back and across tile shoulders), and black.   

HABITS AND HABITATS

The gray fox is omnivorous, it feeds on cottontail rabbits, mice, and other small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, plant material, and fruits. The gray fox is primarily nocturnal, but may occasionally be seen foraging during the daylight hours. They mate around February and March, and have 2-7 young, which are born in March or April. The male helps tend to the young, although he does not den with them. They den in hollow logs, beneath boulders, in ground burrows, or in hillsides. The young begin to hunt on their own around 4 months of age. Gray foxes prefer woody, brushy habitats, unlike the red fox which prefers more open Habitats. Gray foxes have been known to climb trees to find refuge from a threat, or to forage for eggs or fruit.

HISTORY

The gray fox belongs to the genus, Urocyon. They branched off from the ancient canids and have existed as their own branch for about 4- 6 million years. The gray fox and red fox existed on different branches of tile Canidae family tree. There are two gray fox species: the Channel Island gray fox (Urocyon littoralis) which occupies six small islands off tile coast of California; and tile gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargetilus) which is tile species that occupies Western North Carolina, as well as other places in North America. Gray foxes have historically been hunted for their pelts, and still are during trapping season. Some are raised on game farms for their pelts. Traditionally foxes have been hunted by hounds which are followed by their owners on foot or horseback. The foxes are not always taken. Due to the gray foxes secretive nature and nocturnal habits, they are a difficult wild canid to study. We know now that foxes play an important role in our ecosystem, and are fast losing the reputation of being 'undesirable animals.

MEET OUR GRAY FOXES

The Nature Center has one male and one female gray fox. They are nine years old. They arrived at the Nature Center on May 17, 1995. They were about one year old when we they arrived. Both of the gray foxes had been hit by a car and were taken to a wildlife rehabilitator near Asheboro, NC. They were unable to be released back into the wild, so they were sent to us here at the Nature Center.

INFORMATION LINKS

National Fox Welfare Society (British)
Vulpes.Org

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©2002 WNC Nature Center