Gray Fox
Scientific Name: Urocyon cinereoargenteus
The gray fox is a small omnivorous canid native to North and Central American It has an elongated body with relatively short legs and a bushy tail. Their tail makes up approximately one-third of their total body length and has a distinct black stripe along the back with a black tip. Their body fur display a mix of colors including white, red, black and gray. The top of the head, back, sides, and rest of the tail are gray with the belly, chest, legs and sides of the face being reddish brown. The cheeks, muzzle and throat are white.
They are often described as having a "cat-like" shape to their head. Gray foxes have oval-shaped pupils and the area around the eyes has a thin black stripe from the outside corner of the eye to the side of the head. Additionally, a thick black stripe runs from the inside corner of the eye, down the muzzle to the mouth. They are sometimes misidentified as red foxes; however, red foxes have slit-shaped eyes, larger feet, longer legs, and a leaner body.
Adult size: 3 to 3.5 ft (nose to tip of tail, with the tail comprising about 1/3 of the length)
Weight: 7 to 13 lbs with males and females around the same size
Life span: 6 years in the wild, up to 14 in captivity
Maturity: 10 months, or by 1 year old
Litter size: 2 to 7 kits (3-5 more likely)
Fun Fact
Gray foxes frequently climb trees, which is unusual for canids!
Diet
Gray foxes are omnivores with the majority of their diet known to be mice, voles, and cottontails. They have a flexible diet based on prey availability and may also consume birds, amphibians, reptiles, arthropods, carrion, and hard and soft mast like acorns, grapes and other fruits and nuts.
Habitat
Gray foxes may occur in deciduous or mixed woodlands, especially areas that are brushy or rocky under ~3,000 ft in elevation. They may seek out foraging areas like old brushy or over grown fields interspersed with farmlands, near extensive forests.
Behavior
Gray foxes are solitary animals for most of the year, only socializing during mating season. They are primarily nocturnal, but are occasionally spotted during daytime. They may use dens of other animals to rest but more often use downed and hollow trees, rocky areas, and dense brush. They may line dens with leaves, bark, and grass, as well as feathers and fur of their prey.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Gray foxes mate from late January to May and most litters are born in late March or April. By 3 months old the young are able to hunt with mom and are usually independent by four months.
Population Status
Gray foxes are abundant throughout most areas in the lower two-thirds of North America. They have no special conservation status at this time, but may be declining in some areas due to habitat loss and competion with red foxes and coyotes. Although they are trapped and hunted by humans, there does not appear to be any immediate threat. Population status is unknown in NY. They are less abundant that red fox but occur throughout the state at low densities.
Viewing
Gray foxes are a bit elusive are hard to see, but may be picked up on camera traps. They are found in deciduous woods and shrubby openings adjacent to forest.
Range
They range from southern Canada through most of the US and into Northern South America. The range of the gray fox spans most of New York State, but are less dense in urban areas. Home ranges vary based on habitat but generally 188 to 1633 acres. Densities are around 1 or 2 per 250 acres in the Adirondack park.
For more information on Gray fox in New York please visit the NYSDEC page here.
