Gray fox facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gray fox
Gray fox, southern Nevada.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Urocyon
Species:	U. cinereoargenteus
Binomial name
Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775)
Gray fox range
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The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), also called the grey fox, is a fascinating mammal that eats both plants and animals (it's an omnivorous creature). It belongs to the Canidae family, which includes dogs, wolves, and other foxes. You can find gray foxes living across a wide area, from North America all the way down to Central America.

This fox is special because it's one of only two living species in its group, called the Urocyon genus. Its closest relative is the tiny island fox, which lives on the Channel Islands of California. The scientific name cinereoargenteus is a cool way of saying "ashen silver," which describes its fur color!

Long ago, the gray fox was the most common fox in the eastern United States. But as people built more towns and cut down forests, the red fox became more common there. Even so, gray foxes are very adaptable. They have learned to live well in cities and suburbs, especially in places like South Florida. In the Pacific States and around the Great Lakes region, the gray fox is still the most common type of fox.

How Did the Gray Fox Get Its Name?

The name of the gray fox's group, Urocyon, comes from ancient Greek words. "Ourá" means "tail," and "kúōn" means "dog." So, it's like "tail-dog"!

The second part of its scientific name, cinereoargenteus, tells us about its looks. "Cinereo" means "ashen" (like ash), and "argenteus" means "silver." This perfectly describes the beautiful ashen-silver color of its tail.

Meet the Gray Fox: What Does It Look Like?

The gray fox is easy to spot because of its unique fur. Its upper body has a grizzled (mixed gray and black) look. A distinct black stripe runs down the middle of its tail, ending in a black tip. Its head has a strong neck, and like other foxes, it has pointed ears and a sharp muzzle.

One special feature of the gray fox's skull is that it has widely spaced ridges that form a 'U' shape. This helps scientists tell it apart from other North American foxes. Its claws are also longer and more curved than those of many other canids.

Male and female gray foxes look very similar, though females are usually a little smaller. These foxes are typically about 76 to 112.5 centimeters (30 to 44 inches) long, including their tail. Their tail alone can be 27.5 to 44.3 centimeters (11 to 17 inches) long! They usually weigh between 3.6 and 7 kilograms (8 to 15 pounds), but some can be as heavy as 9 kilograms (20 pounds).

A gray fox showing its black tail stripe in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

You can easily tell a gray fox from a red fox because the gray fox doesn't have the "black stockings" (dark lower legs) that red foxes have. Instead, the gray fox has a black stripe on its tail and individual hairs that are banded with white, gray, and black. You'll also see white fur on its ears, throat, chest, belly, and back legs. They have black fur around their eyes, on their lips, and on their noses.

Unlike red foxes, which have slit-like pupils, gray foxes have oval-shaped pupils. They also have reddish fur on parts of their body, like their legs, sides, feet, chest, and the back and sides of their head and neck. Even though they can weigh as much as a red fox, gray foxes often look smaller because their fur isn't as long and their legs are shorter. Gray foxes have 42 teeth, just like many other canids.

Where Do Gray Foxes Come From?

A young gray fox kit at the Palo Alto Baylands in California.

The gray fox first appeared in North America about 3.6 million years ago. Scientists have found their ancient bones alongside other prehistoric animals like giant sloths and early horses. Evidence from caves in northern California shows that gray foxes were present during the last Ice Age. Studies of their genes suggest that gray foxes moved into the northeastern United States after the Ice Age, as the climate became warmer.

Genetic studies confirm that the gray fox is a unique type of fox, different from red foxes. Its group, Urocyon, is considered to be an ancient branch of the dog family tree, related to other living canids. Interestingly, gray foxes are genetically similar to the raccoon dog from East Asia and the bat-eared fox from Africa.

The small island fox, which lives on islands off California, is believed to be a descendant of mainland gray foxes. It seems humans helped transport these foxes to the islands long ago, and they adapted to island life.

Where Do Gray Foxes Live?

A yawning gray fox in northern Florida.

Gray foxes live in many places across the southern half of North America. Their range stretches from southern Canada (from Manitoba to southeastern Quebec) down to the northern parts of South America (including Venezuela and Colombia). However, you won't find them in the mountains of the northwestern United States.

They love areas with a mix of woods, brush, and rocky terrain. In the Midwest, they prefer a mix of forests and farmlands. In the west, they like juniper forests and ponderosa pine areas, while in the east, they live in deciduous forests (where trees lose their leaves). The gray fox is the only member of the dog family whose natural home includes both North and South America! In some places, you might find many gray foxes living near brush-covered cliffs. They also seem to do well in areas where humans live, especially near roads in places like southeastern Mexico.

Amazing Gray Fox Habits

The gray fox has a very special skill: it can climb trees! Its strong, hooked claws help it scramble up tree trunks to escape from predators like domestic dogs or coyotes. They also climb to find food that might be in trees. A gray fox can climb straight up a tree trunk that has no branches, reaching heights of up to 18 meters (60 feet)! They can even jump from branch to branch. When coming down, they often jump from branch to branch or slowly climb backward, much like a domestic cat.

Gray foxes are mostly active at night or during twilight hours (dawn and dusk). During the day, they rest in dens they make in hollow trees, stumps, or abandoned burrows. Sometimes, their tree dens can be as high as 9 meters (30 feet) off the ground! However, they usually prefer to rest on the ground rather than high up in trees.

Before Europeans settled in North America, red foxes mostly lived in cold northern forests, and gray foxes lived in forests where trees lose their leaves. As more people moved into North America, gray foxes learned to adapt. Now, gray foxes living near people often choose areas close to hardwood trees, human-used spaces, or roads for their homes.

The number of coyotes has grown across North America, which has affected some fox populations. To stay safe, gray foxes choose habitats where they can escape coyotes. This is why they often live closer to areas where humans are active, as larger predators like coyotes and bobcats tend to avoid places with a lot of human activity and paved roads. Gray foxes often use the edges of forests as pathways to move around. They also do most of their hunting in these edge areas and use them to hide from predators. Because of this, gray foxes are known as "edge species."

Living with Other Animals

A red fox (Vulpes vulpes) facing off with a gray fox at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge.

Gray foxes often hunt for the same food as bobcats and coyotes in the same areas. To avoid competing too much, gray foxes have developed clever ways to survive. In places where gray foxes and coyotes hunt similar prey, gray foxes have been seen giving coyotes space, staying within their own hunting grounds. Gray foxes might also avoid competitors by living in different types of habitats. For example, in California, they live in chaparral (areas with dense shrubs) where there are fewer competitors, and the low bushes give them more places to hide. It's also thought that gray foxes are more active at night to avoid larger predators that are active during the day.

Despite these strategies, gray foxes sometimes become prey for bobcats and coyotes. Gray foxes are called "mesopredators" because they are mid-level predators, mostly hunting smaller mammals. Coyotes are often seen as top predators in many areas because larger predators like wolves have been removed. This explains why gray foxes change their behavior when coyotes are around, as they are lower on the food chain.

The Gray Fox Life Cycle

Like many other foxes, the gray fox is thought to be monogamous, meaning a male and female pair stay together. The time of year when they breed changes depending on where they live. In Michigan, gray foxes mate in early March, while in Alabama, breeding is most common in February. The mother fox carries her babies for about 53 days. A litter can have 1 to 7 kits (baby foxes), with an average of about 3 or 4.

Gray fox kits at Zion Canyon.

Female gray foxes can start having babies when they are about 10 months old. The kits begin to hunt with their parents when they are 3 months old. By the time they are 4 months old, the kits have all their adult teeth and can find food on their own. The family stays together until autumn. At this time, the young males become old enough to reproduce and usually leave to find their own territories, sometimes traveling up to 84 kilometers (52 miles). Young females tend to stay closer to their birth den, usually within 3 kilometers (2 miles), and always return. Adult gray foxes, both male and female, typically do not move far from their established homes. A gray fox usually lives for about six to ten years.

Gray foxes use logs, trees, rocks, burrows, or abandoned animal homes as safe places for their dens. They use dens throughout the year, but especially during the season when they are raising their young. Their dens are usually built in brushy or wooded areas and are often better hidden than the dens of red foxes.

What Do Gray Foxes Eat?

A gray fox at night

Adult male and female gray fox

The gray fox is an omnivorous animal, meaning it eats both plants and animals. It usually hunts alone. In the eastern U.S., it often preys on eastern cottontail rabbits. However, it will also happily catch voles, shrews, and birds. In California, gray foxes mainly eat rodents like deer mice, woodrats, and cotton rats, as well as lagomorphs (like jackrabbits and brush rabbits). If they find it, gray foxes will also eat carrion (the meat of dead animals).

In some parts of the Western United States, such as Zion National Park in Utah, the gray fox mostly eats insects and plants. Fruit is a very important part of the gray fox's diet, and they will eat whatever fruits are available. They generally eat more plant material than red foxes do. As winter turns to spring, gray foxes eat more fruits and invertebrates like grasshoppers, beetles, butterflies, and moths.

When nuts, grains, and fruits are plentiful, foxes will hide them away for later. They usually mark these hidden food stashes with their scent. This helps them find the food again and also tells other animals to stay away!

Gray Foxes in Nature

Gray foxes play an important role in their environment. Since they eat a lot of woodrats, cotton rats, and mice, they help control the populations of these small rodents.

Like many wild animals, gray foxes can also carry some external and internal parasites. These can include fleas, lice, and different types of worms. In the United States, a common parasite found on gray foxes is a type of flea.

Hunting for Fur

Gray foxes are hunted in the U.S. The number of gray foxes hunted has often depended on how much their pelts (furs) are worth. For example, between the 1970–1971 and 1975–1976 hunting seasons, the price of gray fox pelts went up a lot, and the number of foxes taken increased more than six times, from about 26,109 to 163,458. More recently, it has been reported that more than 500,000 gray foxes are taken for their fur each year.

Different Kinds of Gray Foxes

U. c. fraterculus
A gray fox subspecies found in Tikal, Guatemala.

Scientists recognize 16 different subspecies (slightly different groups) of the gray fox, each found in a specific region:

• Urocyon cinereoargenteus borealis (New England)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus californicus (southern California)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus cinereoargenteus (eastern United States)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus costaricensis (Costa Rica)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus floridanus (Gulf states)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus fraterculus (Yucatán)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus furvus (Panama)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus guatemalae (southernmost Mexico south to Nicaragua)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus madrensis (southern Sonora, south-west Chihuahua, and north-west Durango)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus nigrirostris (south-west Mexico)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus ocythous (Central Plains states)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus orinomus (southern Mexico, Isthmus of Tehuantepec)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus peninsularis (Baja California)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus scottii (south-western United States and northern Mexico)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus townsendi (northern California and Oregon)
• Urocyon cinereoargenteus venezuelae (Colombia and Venezuela)

See also

In Spanish: Zorro gris para niños

• Cozumel fox, a gray fox that used to live on Mexico's Cozumel Island and is now extinct or nearly extinct.
• South American gray fox, also known as the gray zorro, but not closely related to the North American gray fox.
• Urocyon progressus, an extinct ancestor of the gray fox.