Gray Fox

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

  • Classification: Mammal
  • Lifespan in Captivity: 12yrs
  • Lifespan in the Wild: 6yrs
  • Length: 3.5ft
  • Weight: 4-15lbs
  • Range: Southern Canada to Venezuela and Columbia, excluding portions of the Great Plains and Eastern Coast of Central America
  • Habitat: prefers deciduous forest with low-lying vegetation
  • Diet: Omnivore
    • Diet in the Wild: small mammals, birds, vegetation, insects, etc.
    • Diet at Wildlife Images: donated meats, poultry, red meat, vegetables, certain fruits, kibble

Carson has helped many baby foxes feel more comfortable

Gray foxes are one of the only members of the dog family (Canidae) that are able to climb trees with their sharp, curved claws. Foxes depend on trees to provide their food and shelter, often taking shelter in the hollows of logs, stumps, or burrows. They are highly generalistic, foraging for nearly any food source. Interestingly, if a gray fox finds more food than it can eat, it will cache the extra to come back and feed later. They mark these caches as their own by urinating on them. Gray foxes also possess a musky odor, generated from a large musk gland under the tail that is often mistaken for a skunk. This is often a smell detected while on tours and a fun way to transition into your talks about gray foxes. Gray foxes are the most common native fox to the Rogue Valley, but we do also have red fox in higher elevation areas, however, they are much less prevalent.

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