Foxes black white gray red brown. Gray fox, or tree fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)Gray fox (eng.)

Name: gray fox, tree fox.
Latin generic name Urocyonis, based on Greek words oura(tail) and kyon(dog). Species name cinereoargenteusis derived from the Greek word cinereus(ashy) and argenteus(silver), indicating the dominant color of the fox.

Area: Gray fox occurs throughout most of the area North America from southern regions Canada to the Isthmus of Panama also in the north South America(Venezuela and Colombia). The gray fox is not found in the Rocky Mountains of the far northwestern United States. Gray fox disappeared from Canada in the late 17th century, but they have recently been found in southern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. In a number of places it disappeared after the brown fox from Europe acclimatized there. Some researchers argue that the causal relationship between these events is questionable. According to them, the decline in gray fox numbers, and the spread of brown fox, was the result of changes in human land use.

Description: The gray fox is smaller than the brown fox and looks like a small dog with a bushy tail. She has short powerful legs and strong hooked claws that make it easy to climb tree trunks and branches. Compared to other canids, the gray fox has a rather variegated coloration, and its fur is quite short and coarse. The tail is triangular in cross section rather than round. Skull length: from 9.5 to 12.8 cm. Number of teeth - 42.

Color: Back, sides and top part long, fluffy tails are gray or dark o-gray with silver specks. The muzzle is also gray. The lower part of the neck, chest, abdomen, as well as the front and inner sides of the legs are distinguished by a whitish-gray color. The tip of the tail is black. Slightly noticeable black stripes appear on the back (sometimes they are clearly visible). The crown, side of the neck, edges of the abdomen and the outer sides of the legs are colored reddish-gray, and sometimes have a bright reddish-orange color. Because of this coloration, the gray fox is sometimes mistakenly identified as a brown fox, which can always be distinguished by its black legs and white tail tip. Fox cubs are almost black.

Size: Body length - 48-69 cm; heads - 9.5-12.8 cm; length - 25-40 cm; height at withers - about 30 cm.

Weight: ranges from 2.5 to 7 kg, but most often it is 3.5-6 kg. Females are always somewhat lighter than males.

Lifespan: in nature up to 6 years, maximum life expectancy in captivity is 15 years.

Habitat: Most often, the gray fox can be found in thickets of bushes, on forest edges, and in mountain copses. In general, it prefers wooded areas, although it is found in cultivated fields and in the vicinity of cities. Of the tree plantations, pine trees are the most preferred. The gray fox prefers pine groves to deciduous ones everywhere within its range; this is where it mainly locates its den. At the same time, for hunting and feeding, she often chooses deciduous tree and shrub plantations, in which small mammals more numerous.

Like other canids, gray foxes communicate with each other and through sounds. These vocalizations include aggressive yelps, resonant howls, soft whimpers, and specific calls. Among the sounds made by a gray fox when it sees a person, the most characteristic is a sharp bark.

Food: Gray fox It is omnivorous, and its diet is very diverse and depends on the time of year and habitat and includes: small vertebrates, especially rabbits, rodents, birds and their eggs, insects. Sometimes she has to eat only plant foods (fruits, fruits, nuts, grains, etc.), and the fox does not refuse carrion. Thanks to its ability to climb trees, its diet includes purely arboreal creatures such as squirrels - in some places they play an important role in the diet of the gray fox, which is not the case with other wild canids.

Behavior: Gray foxes love to climb trees, which is why they are often called "tree foxes." At the first danger, they often climb onto low or half-fallen, leaning trees. This ability likely allowed the gray fox to coexist with coyotes, while the brown fox population declined significantly as the coyote population increased.
How do gray foxes climb trees? Lightly grasping the tree trunk with her front paws, she pushes her body up with her hind legs, which, thanks to her long and strong claws, hold her firmly to the trunk. In addition, the fox is able to jump onto the branching branches of a tree, using this ability to ambush prey from above. On the ground, when chasing prey or hiding from an enemy, a gray fox can reach speeds of up to 17 km/h, but only at a relatively short distances.
It hunts mainly at night and twilight, and lies down all day in a secluded place, sleeps and rests. Animals are usually attached to the same place, so their lifestyle is sedentary; they have never been seen migrating. They rarely dig burrows on their own, but more often they are occupied by strangers; sometimes they choose hollow trees as their own home; they can settle in rock crevices, voids under stones and trunks, even in abandoned buildings. In eastern Texas, a cavity was found used by a fox to rest about 10 m above the ground in a large hollow oak tree. In central Texas, a den was found in a hollow live oak tree with an entrance 1 m above the ground. The unusual den was found under a pile of wood, into which the fox had "tunneled."
Gray foxes need clean water for drinking, so they regularly visit the pond. In this regard, they locate their lairs near the source drinking water, where, over time, a clearly visible path is trampled.

Social structure : They live in pairs, occupying a specific family territory. In the summer, while the fox cubs are growing up, gray foxes roam in family packs, which disband by autumn. The area of the family plot varies from 3 to 27.6 km 2 and for different family groups they usually partially overlap. Outside the breeding season, the individual areas of males practically do not overlap, while the areas of males and females can overlap by 25-30%. The size of such overlap depends both on the food supply of the areas and on the season of the year. Being fairly silent territorialists, gray foxes mark their territorial boundaries with piles of droppings and urine, which are left on the most noticeable boundary markers such as tufts of grass and protruding structures: earthen hummocks, stumps, individual stones, etc. These scent marks are regularly updated, especially in places frequently visited by animals. The specific smell is provided by a secretion produced by a pair of violet glands located on both sides of the anus. Both males and females appear to raise their leg when marking territory with urine. A pungent odor, very similar to that emitted by skunks, is easily detected even by humans in areas where gray foxes have frequently marked “border posts.”

Reproduction: During the breeding season, numerous fierce fights occur between males, after which the winning male remains with the female and forms a pair. After the birth of offspring, males take Active participation in obtaining food for puppies and protecting the boundaries of the family plot from the penetration of other foxes.

Breeding season/period: The time of rutting and mating depends on the latitude of the area and is observed from December to April.

Puberty: males mature at 10 months; females give birth at one year of age.

Pregnancy: lasts 51-63 days, average 53 days.

Offspring: In a den carefully lined with dry grass, leaves or crushed tree bark, from 2 to 7 (average 3.8) black-brown, blind and helpless puppies are born. Puppies weighing about 100 g have their eyes closed; they open only at 10-14 days. Lactation lasts 7-9 weeks, and they begin to consume solid food from 5-6 weeks. If possible, as soon as the puppies have grown a little, foxes try to change the old den for a new one due to mass reproduction they contain fleas, which greatly plague both adults and puppies.
At the age of four months, fox cubs begin to accompany adults on hunts.
Fox cubs are weaned at 6 weeks of age. At three months of age, fox cubs begin to hunt with their parents.

Benefit/harm for humans: The fur of the gray fox is of rather low quality, so it is not of particular interest as an object of industrial hunting, but only as a sport one. In the state of Texas, the gray fox is considered one of the most important fur-bearing animals. It is abundant in desert areas, where it often helps farmers in the fight against harmful rodents. When the gray fox becomes a pest itself, eating chickens and destroying crops, farmers shoot them or catch them in all sorts of traps.

Population/Conservation Status: Widespread, not endangered.

Copyright holder: Zooclub portal
When reprinting this article, an active link to the source is MANDATORY, otherwise, use of the article will be considered a violation of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights.

Description

Small gray fox. Around the dark brown nose, the fur is “painted” with a white spot, the main color is red-brown, the sides, neck and paws of the gray fox are covered with fur of this color. The belly area is covered with white fur. Also characteristic is a black line stretching from the base of the tail to its tip. Another distinctive feature there is another black line crossing the face from the nose to the eyes, then “going” back along the sides of the head. The height at the withers is 30-40 cm. The gray fox is very agile and dexterous for its family, it runs fast, and also knows how to climb trees (it is also called tree fox).

The gray fox has a dense build, with shorter paws compared to the red fox, so it is smaller in stature, but its long fluffy tail looks more luxurious than that of its rival, but its undercoat does not protect against the cold as well as at the red fox. Therefore, the gray fox cannot live in particularly cold climates.

Reproduction and population

Gray foxes are monogamous and live with a partner for the rest of their lives. After mating, in February, the mother can give birth to 4 to 10 fox cubs, which, after 11 months of age, already leave their parents. Perhaps it was precisely because of this ability for fertility that this species was not on the verge of death. The annual extermination of the gray fox, for example, in Wisconsin, because of its soft fur, reduced the population of the species by up to half.

Subspecies

Urocyon cinereoargenteus borealis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus californicus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus colimensis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus costaricensis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus floridanus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus fraterculus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus furvus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus guatemalae
Urocyon cinereoargenteus madrensis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus nigrirostris
Urocyon cinereoargenteus ocythous
Urocyon cinereoargenteus orinomus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus peninsularis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus scotti
Urocyon cinereoargenteus townsendi
Urocyon cinereoargenteus venezuelae

Notes

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Wuhou (Kingdom of Wei, Zhangguo era)
O-Ban

See what "Gray Fox" is in other dictionaries:

gray fox- pilkoji lapė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Urocyon cinereoargentatus engl. eastern gray fox; gray fox; Virginian fox vok. Festland Graufuchs eng. gray fox pranc. renard gris; renard gris argenté… Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

Argentine gray fox- ? Argentine gray fox Scientific classification Kingdom ... Wikipedia

Island gray fox- ? Island fox Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals Type: Chordata ... Wikipedia

Fox- This term has other meanings, see Fox (meanings). Fox, or vixen common name several species of mammals of the canine family. Only 11 species of this group belong to the genus of foxes proper (lat. Vulpes). Most... ... Wikipedia

FOX- (fur) skin beast of prey foxes. In the USSR, foxes are hunted almost everywhere; in addition, they are bred in fur farms. Skins are obtained from wild foxes: common fox, or so-called. red, gray, cross, black-brown; from... ... Concise Encyclopedia household

Corsac fox

Corsac fox- ? Corsac Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals Type: Chordata Class ... Wikipedia

gray flying fox- pilkoji skraidančioji lapė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Pteropus griseus engl. gray flying fox rus. gray flying fox ryšiai: platesnis terminas – skraidančiosios lapės … Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

Crab-eating fox- ? Maikong Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals Type: Chordata Subphylum ... Wikipedia

Andean fox- ? Culpeo Culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals Type ... Wikipedia

Books

Gray neck, Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak. A little defenseless duck named Gray Neck The fox injured her, and she could not fly away with the others when autumn came. About her friendship with the hare and the wood grouse, about their struggle with the fox, about her...

Description

Small gray fox. Around the dark brown nose, the fur is “colored” with a white spot, the main color is reddish-brown, the sides, neck and paws of the gray fox are covered with fur of this color. The belly area is covered with white fur. Also characteristic is a black line stretching from the base of the tail to its tip. Another distinctive feature is another black line crossing the face from the nose to the eyes, then “going” back along the sides of the head. The height at the withers is 30-40 cm. The gray fox is very agile and dexterous for its family, it runs fast, and also knows how to climb trees (it is also called tree fox).

The gray fox has a dense build, with shorter paws compared to the red fox, so it is smaller in stature, but its long fluffy tail looks more luxurious than that of its rival, but its undercoat does not protect against the cold as well as that of red fox. Therefore, the gray fox cannot live in particularly cold climates.

Reproduction and population

Gray foxes are monogamous and live with a partner for the rest of their lives. After mating, in February, the mother can give birth to from 4 to 10 fox cubs, which are already 11 months old and leave their parents. Perhaps it was precisely because of this ability for fertility that this species was not on the verge of death. The annual extermination of the gray fox, for example, in Wisconsin, because of its soft fur, reduced the population of the species by up to half.

Subspecies

Urocyon cinereoargenteus borealis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus californicus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus colimensis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus costaricensis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus floridanus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus fraterculus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus furvus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus guatemalae
Urocyon cinereoargenteus madrensis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus nigrirostris
Urocyon cinereoargenteus ocythous
Urocyon cinereoargenteus orinomus
Urocyon cinereoargenteus peninsularis
Urocyon cinereoargenteus scotti
Urocyon cinereoargenteus townsendi
Urocyon cinereoargenteus venezuelae

Gallery

Keulemans gray fox.png

U. cinereoargenteus, drawing by J. G. Kjolemans, 1890

NIE 1905 Fox.jpg

Drawing of six species of the canid family, gray fox below, left

Urocyon cinereoargenteus.jpg

U. cinereoargenteus, New Mexico

Urocyon cinereoargenteus in brushwood.jpg

U. cinereoargenteus, Minnesota

GrayFoxApr04NFla.jpg

U. cinereoargenteus, northern Florida

Urocyon cinereoargenteus grayFox fullFace.jpg

U. cinereoargenteus at an altitude of 2.1 thousand meters in California

Red Fox vs Gray Fox - San Joaquin National Wildlife Refuge.jpg

Meeting the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes) with sulfur ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Write a review about the article "Gray Fox"

Notes

Excerpt characterizing Gray Fox

The so-called partisan war began with the enemy’s entry into Smolensk.
Before guerrilla warfare was officially accepted by our government, thousands of people of the enemy army - backward marauders, foragers - were exterminated by the Cossacks and peasants, who beat these people as unconsciously as dogs unconsciously kill a runaway rabid dog. Denis Davydov, with his Russian instinct, was the first to understand the meaning of that terrible club, which, without asking the rules of military art, destroyed the French, and the glory of the first step to legitimize this method of war belongs to him.
On August 24th the first partisan detachment Davydov, and after his detachment others began to be established. The further the campaign progressed, the more the number of these detachments increased.
The partisans destroyed Great Army in parts. They picked up those fallen leaves that fell of their own accord from the withered tree - the French army, and sometimes shook this tree. In October, while the French were fleeing to Smolensk, there were hundreds of these parties of various sizes and characters. There were parties that adopted all the techniques of the army, with infantry, artillery, headquarters, and the comforts of life; there were only Cossacks and cavalry; there were small ones, prefabricated ones, on foot and on horseback, there were peasant and landowner ones, unknown to anyone. There was a sexton as the head of the party, who took several hundred prisoners a month. There was the elder Vasilisa, who killed hundreds of Frenchmen.
The last days of October were the peak time guerrilla warfare. That first period of this war, during which the partisans, themselves surprised at their audacity, were afraid at every moment of being caught and surrounded by the French and, without unsaddled or almost getting off their horses, hid in the forests, expecting a pursuit at every moment, has already passed. Now this war had already been defined, it became clear to everyone what could be done with the French and what could not be done. Now only those detachment commanders who, with their headquarters, according to the rules, walked away from the French, considered many things impossible. The small partisans, who had long since begun their work and were closely looking out for the French, considered it possible what the leaders of large detachments did not dare to think about. The Cossacks and men who climbed among the French believed that now everything was possible.
On October 22, Denisov, who was one of the partisans, was with his party in the midst of partisan passion. In the morning he and his party were on the move. All day long, through the forests adjacent to the high road, he followed a large French transport of cavalry equipment and Russian prisoners, separated from other troops and under strong cover, as was known from spies and prisoners, heading towards Smolensk. This transport was known not only to Denisov and Dolokhov (also a partisan with a small party), who walked close to Denisov, but also to the commanders of large detachments with headquarters: everyone knew about this transport and, as Denisov said, sharpened their teeth on it. Two of these large detachment leaders - one Pole, the other German - almost at the same time sent Denisov an invitation to each join his own detachment in order to attack the transport.

The fox is an intelligent and very attractive animal that you definitely want to admire; they often become cunning heroes of fairy tales and folklore, but in life they are simple lovers natural environment a habitat. When you hear the word “fox,” associations immediately arise: red, fluffy, but this opinion is quite primitive. IN wildlife There are the most diverse and charming breeds of foxes that you need to learn to look at as a particle of everything living and necessary on our planet, and not regard them as goods in the form of fur coats, collars and other products. Fox is a general name for some mammals, they belong to the canine family, only 11 species belong to the fox family. Well-known and popular species include the following breeds: gray, platinum, pearl, snow and others:

The arctic fox lives in the Arctic Circle, where it is very cold, but its short muzzle and paws help retain heat longer, and its thick, luxurious fur serves as reliable clothing and protects from severe frosts.

Arctic fox or arctic fox

The gray fox is common in America; its peculiarity is that it can climb trees.

The marbled fox is a type of red fox, found in the Arctic, has an unusually beautiful color, and is artificially bred.

The red fox is not uncommon, it lives in many countries, it is endowed with graceful agility that helps to cope with even the most difficult obstacles.

The red fox changes color depending on its habitat; its color can be: red, fiery, scarlet, yellow, gray and grey-red. Their chest is white, sandy or with a black spot, their paws are black, their tail is white or gray. Characterized by white hairs all over the body.

Red fox

Albinos are found in both people and animals; the white fox belongs to this type, and its eyes are soft blue with a red tint.

The ermine fox is white with black ears and dark hairs on the body; are not used for industrial purposes.

Black-brown (Alaskan)/silver-black - got their name due to the prevailing color range, the second variety of foxes has a peculiarity: silvery hairs, which cannot be found only on the stomach. Babies are born without silver, it begins to appear only from three months. In some black-brown cats, you can find red spots behind the ears, on the tail, sides, and behind the shoulder blades.

The corsac dog is very similar to the red fox, but is inferior to it in size. Color: light gray or red-gray (sometimes found with elements of red). The ears are large, the paws are long, the muzzle is short and pointed, the teeth are small; they bark, come into conflict with other foxes, climb trees, sometimes unite in colonies, and hunt at night. Diet: hamsters, gophers, mice, birds, carrion, get vitamins from vegetables, fruits, herbs. Corsacs mate for life. A female can give birth to a maximum of six cubs; they feed on mother's milk for two months. Life expectancy is 9 years. The corsac is listed in the Red Book, it has a lot of enemies among animals, people also hunt it, although it runs fast, it gets tired at the same speed. Corsac fur is not very beautiful, but it is warm and highly valued.

The silver fox is listed in the Red Book and has thick fur. Color: gray, ash, black, black-brown. The density and color of the fur depends on the diet and habitat. The silver fox lives in burrows, which it creates itself, and leaves its home extremely rarely, in order to get food. Due to their small size, beauties feed on small rodents and birds, but never attack strong predators, rarely attacks first; can chase prey for hours and has very sharp fangs. Main advantages: sensitive sense of smell and hearing, speed of reaction. The silver fox is unusually smart, it can confuse and confuse its pursuers, and it is extremely difficult to catch it. The silver fox can live in a domestic environment, but must be provided for by everyone necessary vaccinations, examination by a veterinarian, the enclosure should be high and very spacious, but it is worth remembering that she can get out and run away; Regular cleaning and cleanliness is the key to the health and well-being of your pet. She is very active, you need to play with her, just like with a dog, buy toys, and if the fox is very small (he is teething), he needs bones that he can chew. You need to walk him and spend a lot of time with him, so he will quickly adapt and get used to it, accept almost any diet.

Fox as a pet

Exotic animals at home no longer surprise anyone, but relatively recently, domesticated foxes are in great demand and popularity. There are nurseries where you can buy a similar friendly animal, and with it instructions about proper care, nutrition, care. The experiment of Academician Belyaev was successful in modern world There are genetically bred active, playful, friendly species that become true human friends. Very many people have experience keeping foxes at home. small quantity people, you need to treat it very carefully and carefully.

The animal is unique in its nature, because it belongs to the canine family, and in its behavior it is more reminiscent of a cat, it does not belong to the pack, although it is kind and sweet, it is endowed with specific character traits, so it is not a task for everyone to cope with it, train and raise it. strength, you need to have great endurance and patience. The breeds of domestic foxes are diverse; if we look at the example of the fennec fox, it is small, fragile, the length of its tail is equal to the size of the entire body, and its weight is only up to two kilograms.

It is better not to get a fox cub if there are other animals, he is very emotional and jealous, and quickly becomes attached to his owners; Also, fennecs can react aggressively to the behavior of children. Fennec has a long tail, huge ears that serve not only for sensitive hearing, but also for cooling, this species has a special property: the fur is designed in such a way that it helps to easily endure the heat and at the same time keep warm when it’s cold. The smallest representative of the canids. Color can be: red, yellow, brown.

Fenechs are known as predators that hunt at night; thermophilic; in domesticated conditions, it is disobedient and capricious, but its appearance is so captivating that it immediately becomes everyone’s favorite. The fur of fox cubs needs to be combed; It is better to close doors and windows, remove fragile objects, when the animal is alone at home - lock it in a cage, which must be large and cozy.

Lgray tit, Gray Fox. Latin name: Urocyon cinereoargenteus. The Latin generic name Urocyonis is based on the Greek words oura (tail) and kyon (dog). The specific name cinereoargenteusis is derived from the Greek words cinereus (ash) and argenteus (silver), indicating the dominant color of the fox. Other names: tree fox

It is found throughout most of North America from the southern regions of Canada to the Isthmus of Panama and also in northern South America (Venezuela and Colombia). The gray fox is not found in the Rocky Mountains of the far northwestern United States. The gray fox disappeared from Canada in the late 17th century, but they have recently been found in southern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. In a number of places it disappeared after the brown fox from Europe acclimatized there. Some researchers argue that the causal relationship between these events is questionable. In their opinion, the decline in the number of gray foxes, and the spread of brown foxes, was the result of changes in human land use.

The gray fox is smaller than the brown fox and looks like a small dog with a fluffy tail. The gray fox has short powerful legs and strong, hooked claws that make it easy to climb tree trunks and branches. Compared to other canids, the gray fox has a rather variegated coloration, and its fur is quite short and coarse. The tail is triangular in cross section rather than round. Skull length: from 9.5 to 12.8 cm. Dental formula, as in a brown fox, number of teeth - 42.

Color: The back, sides and top of the long, bushy tail are gray or dark gray with silver flecks. The muzzle is also gray. The lower part of the neck, chest, abdomen, as well as the front and inner sides of the legs are distinguished by a whitish-gray color. The tip of the tail is black. Slightly noticeable black stripes appear on the back (sometimes they are clearly visible). The crown, side of the neck, edges of the abdomen and the outer sides of the legs are colored reddish-gray, and sometimes have a bright reddish-orange color. Because of this coloration, the gray fox is sometimes mistakenly identified as a brown fox, which can always be distinguished by its black legs and white tail tip. Fox cubs are almost black.

Body length - 48-69 cm; head length - 9.5-12.8 cm; tail length - 25-40 cm; height at withers - about 30 cm.

Weight: The weight of the gray fox ranges from 2.5 to 7 kg, but most often it is 3.5-6 kg. Females are always somewhat lighter than males.

Lifespan: Gray foxes live for 6 years in the wild, maximum lifespan in captivity: 15 years.

Voice: Like other canines, foxes talk to each other and use sounds. These vocalizations include aggressive yelps, resonant howls, soft whimpers, and specific calls. Among the sounds made by a gray fox when it sees a person, the most characteristic is a sharp bark.

Habitat: Most often, the gray fox can be found in bushes, forest edges, and mountain copses. In general, it prefers wooded areas, although it is found in cultivated fields and in the vicinity of cities. Of the tree plantations, pine trees are the most preferred. The gray fox prefers pine groves to deciduous ones everywhere within its range; this is where it mainly locates its den. At the same time, for hunting and feeding, it often chooses deciduous trees and shrubs, in which small mammals are more numerous.

Foxes especially suffer from hunters, particularly during wild turkey hunts. Special studies of the causes of mortality have shown that humans are responsible for the mortality of 33% of individuals, 22% die from natural factors, 44% from unknown factors.

The gray fox is an omnivore and its diet is very diverse and depends on the time of year and habitat and includes: small vertebrates, especially rabbits, rodents, birds and eggs, insects. Sometimes she has to eat only plant foods (fruits, fruits, nuts, grains, etc.), and the fox does not refuse carrion. Thanks to its ability to climb trees, its diet can include purely arboreal creatures such as squirrels - in some places they play an important role in the diet of the gray fox, which is not the case with other wild canids.

Gray foxes love to climb trees, which is why they are often called "tree foxes." At the first danger, they often climb onto low or half-fallen, leaning trees. This ability likely allowed the gray fox to coexist with coyotes, while the brown fox population declined significantly as the coyote population increased.

How do gray foxes climb trees? Lightly grasping the tree trunk with her front paws, she pushes her body up with her hind legs, which, thanks to her long and strong claws, hold her firmly to the trunk. In addition, the fox is able to jump onto the branching branches of a tree, using this ability to ambush prey from above. On the ground, when chasing prey or hiding from an enemy, a fox can reach speeds of up to 17 km/h, but only over relatively short distances.

They hunt mainly at night and twilight, and spend the entire day lying down in a secluded place, sleeping and resting. Animals are usually attached to the same place, so their lifestyle is sedentary; they have never been seen migrating. They rarely dig burrows on their own, but more often they are occupied by strangers; sometimes they choose hollow trees as their own home; they can settle in rock crevices, voids under stones and trunks, even in abandoned buildings. In eastern Texas, a cavity was found used by a fox to rest about 10 m above the ground in a large hollow oak tree. In central Texas, a den was found in a hollow live oak tree with an entrance 1 m above the ground. The unusual den was found under a pile of wood, into which the fox had "tunneled."

Foxes need clean water to drink, so they regularly visit the pond. In this regard, they locate their dens near a source of drinking water, where, over time, a clearly visible path is trodden down.

Social structure: They live in pairs, occupying a specific family territory. In the summer, while the fox cubs are growing up, gray foxes roam in family packs, which disband by autumn. The area of the family plot varies from 3 to 27.6 km2 and in different family groups they usually partially overlap. Outside the breeding season, the individual areas of males practically do not overlap, while the areas of males and females can overlap by 25-30%. The size of such overlap depends both on the food supply of the areas and on the season of the year. Being fairly silent territorialists, gray foxes mark their territorial boundaries with piles of droppings and urine, which are left on the most noticeable boundary markers such as tufts of grass and protruding structures: earthen hummocks, stumps, individual stones, etc. These scent marks are regularly updated, but especially in places frequently visited by animals. The specific smell is provided by a secretion produced by a pair of violet glands located on both sides of the anus. Both males and females appear to raise their leg when marking territory with urine. A pungent odor, very similar to that emitted by skunks, is easily detected even by humans in areas where gray foxes have frequently marked “border posts.”

Reproduction: During the breeding season, numerous fairly fierce fights occur between males, after which the winning male remains with the female and forms a pair. After the birth of the offspring, the males take an active part in obtaining food for the puppies and protecting the boundaries of the family territory from the penetration of other foxes.

Breeding season/period: Rutting and mating times depend on the latitude of the area and are observed from December to April.

Puberty: Males reach sexual maturity at 10 months; females give birth at one year of age.

Pregnancy: Pregnancy lasts 51-63 days, with an average of 53 days.

Offspring: In a den carefully lined with dry grass, leaves or crushed tree bark, from 2 to 7 (on average 3.8) black-brown, blind and helpless puppies are born. In puppies weighing about 100 g, their eyes are closed and they open only at 10-14 days. Lactation: 7-9 weeks, and they begin to consume solid food from 5-6 weeks. If possible, as soon as the puppies have grown up a little, the foxes try to change the old den for a new one due to the massive reproduction of fleas in them, which greatly pester both adults and puppies.

At the age of four months, puppies begin to accompany adults on hunts.

Young pups are in their first year and have been known to travel up to 84 km. Puppies are weaned at or around 6 weeks. Gradually the pups learn to hunt for themselves, first leaving the den area to hunt with their parents when they are about 3 months old.

The fur of the gray fox is of rather low quality, so the gray fox is not of particular interest as an object of industrial hunting, but only as a sport one. In the state of Texas, the gray fox is considered one of the most important fur-bearing animals. The gray fox is abundant in desert areas - it often helps farmers in the fight against harmful rodents. When the gray fox becomes a pest itself, eating chickens and destroying crops, farmers shoot them or catch them in all sorts of traps.

Widespread species, no threat of extinction.