Gray fox. Photo of a gray fox - behavior of a gray fox Gray fox
The gray fox is a native inhabitant of the American continent. These animals live in the USA, South America, Mexico, Colombia and northern Venezuela.
Gray foxes are similar in appearance to red foxes, but the former have shorter limbs and a bushier tail.
Gray foxes climb trees perfectly; according to this indicator, these representatives of the canine family are not inferior to cats. Such abilities among the closest relatives are observed only in the raccoon, while the rest of the canines do not climb trees.
Gray foxes often climb into the lush crowns of trees located at a great height from the ground. These animals love to rest on thick branches and in the crowns of trees. But in any case, they give preference to the earth's surface, it is on the ground that gray foxes spend most of their time.
Fox appearance
Representatives of the species grow at the withers up to 30-40 centimeters, while the body length varies within 80 centimeters. Gray foxes weigh from 4 to 7 kilograms. The length of the tail reaches 45 centimeters.
The legs are light brown, they are much darker than the rest of the body. The sides, back of the neck and back are dark gray in color. A narrow black band runs along the upper part of the dark gray tail. The tip of the tail is also black. This is the main difference between a gray fox and a red fox, in which the tip of the tail is white.
The chest and belly of the representatives of the species are white. The neck, underside of the tail and a narrow stripe on the underbelly are rusty brown. The underside of the muzzle is white. Also, white fur frames the black tip of the nose.
The muzzle has a shortened shape. Ears are small. Such small size and camouflage color help the predator during the hunt.
reproduction
Gray foxes are monogamous, they form pairs for life. The gestation period is 2 months. The female gives birth to 1 to 7 foxes. Babies mature quickly and at the age of 4 months they are already capable of independent hunting. By 11 months of life, red foxes reach puberty, at this age the young leave their parents. Young individuals seek mates, form families and begin to lead an adult life.
The gray fox is a monogamous animal, and a couple, formed once, stays together all their lives, The fur of gray foxes is very soft. It was because of the fur that these animals were always shot mercilessly. Only due to the high fertility of these animals were not completely destroyed.
In addition, gray foxes are easier to survive than other canids because they are omnivores. These animals eat rodents, birds, bird eggs and various vegetation. Red foxes love a variety of herbs and especially wild fruits.
population
Today, the number of gray foxes is kept at a stable level. Despite the fact that American farmers often shoot these animals to protect their chickens and ducks, their numbers are quickly restored by the younger generation. In addition, these animals are cunning and very cautious, so they do not often catch the eye of people. From this we can safely conclude that in the near future the destruction of the population does not threaten.
We know that most people love foxes, but how not to love these beauties in fluffy fur coats? Therefore, we decided that it would be interesting for you to learn about some of the most beautiful and colorful species of these forest animals. Common or red fox (Vulpes vulpes), that usually comes to mind when you hear the word "fox" and it makes sense, because this type of fox is the most common in the world and can be found anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. If you love foxes and think they look way better in the wild than on someone's neck, then you'll definitely want to see the 7 most beautiful fox species in their natural element!
Fennec Fox
Fennec foxes, living in North Africa and the Sahara Desert, are distinguished by their large ears, which serve not only to enable the animal to hunt better, but also to better cool the body in the heat of the day. Also, their cream fur helps them not to attract the scorching sun during the day and keep warm at night.
Red Fox (Red Fox)
The red fox is the largest, most widely distributed and, as a result, the most diverse species of all foxes. They can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and in Australia. These foxes are very agile hunters and can even jump over a two-meter fence.
Marble Fox
The Arctic marbled fox is also a member of the red fox species, the color of which is not found in the wild - its color was bred artificially for the sake of fur.
Gray fox (Gray Fox)
The gray fox, which lives in North America, is distinguished by its salt-and-pepper coat, black-tipped tail and red muzzle.This fox is one of the few canids that can climb trees.
Black and brown fox (Silver Fox)
The black-brown fox is actually the same species of red fox, differing only in a different pigmentation. There was a time when the black fox was considered one of the most valuable fur foxes that could be found. People still breed and raise them for their fur.
Arctic fox (Arctic Fox)
Arctic fox can be found throughout the Arctic Circle. Its thick fur protects the animal from colossally low temperatures (-70 degrees Celsius). These foxes have relatively short legs and muzzle, which allows them to keep warm.
Cross Fox
Another type of red fox, which is the most common in North America.
Fox gray or tree fox - a representative of wolves, more common in North America and in the northern part of South America. Disappeared from Canada, appeared in Southern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec.
Appearance of the gray fox
The gray fox looks like a small dog with a beautiful fluffy tail. It is much smaller than brown foxes.
The appearance is like that of an ordinary fox, only with a shorter muzzle and ears. On short powerful legs, tenacious nails are located that allow you to climb trees and branches well. Has a non-uniform coat color. The muzzle, back, sides and long fluffy tail are painted with gray or silvery light. Red light is spilled over the neck, sides of the head and torso. Below there is a white light, the tip of the tail is painted black. The coat is short and coarse and covers the entire body of the fox. The tail of the fox is an unusual triangular shape.
Sixty-nine centimeters body length. Nine and a half centimeters head.
Weighing from two and a half to seven kg. The tail reaches forty centimeters.
Lives in nature for about six years, in zoos up to fifteen.
Gray fox habitat
The animal fell in love with forest thickets; it can also be found at the edge of the forest, small copses. Likes to approach crop fields, sometimes found in the vicinity of villages and cities. She considers pine groves her home, she makes a lair in them. But it hunts in deciduous woody shrubs, there are more small mammals for food. Foxes live in burrows, but rarely dig themselves, usually find secluded places, sometimes use tree hollows, settled between stones, other people's burrows.
They live a sedentary lifestyle. Animals love to drink clean water, so they choose habitats closer to the water. Trampled fox trails can be seen near the water.
When foxes see people, they bark, and in the forest they make other sounds similar to howling and whimpering.
Gray fox behavior
Because foxes like to climb trees, they are called tree foxes. When an unfamiliar or dangerous object approaches, with a quick jump and tenacious claws they cling to a hill, to fallen and small trees, stumps located higher. Clinging with hooked claws, they can jump to another tree. The fox is kept on the tree with strong powerful legs and strong claws, it can jump from the tree for prey.
In pursuit of prey or hiding from the enemy, runs at speeds up to seventeen kilometers, in short intervals. The tree serves as a shelter from the enemy, here she rests, but she breeds offspring in holes.
Foxes live in pairs, each family has its own border of the earth. They mark territorial spaces with their urine and droppings. All summer they roam in family flocks until the offspring grow up. Growing foxes leave their mothers for long distances, and in the future they look for mates. The boundaries of the areas of married couples reach large areas up to 27 square meters. The outskirts of neighboring territories often intersect.
Reproduction of gray foxes
Depending on where they live, they breed from December to April. At this time, the males fight among themselves for the female, the winner forms a pair with her. When the babies appear, the males take care and get food for the little foxes and defend their territory.
Before giving birth, the lair is covered with dried leaves, grass, or small tree bark. The fox brings from two to seven babies. They are born blind, helpless, weighing one hundred grams no more. They open their eyes on the tenth, fourteenth day. They suckle their mother for seven, nine weeks, then they switch to solid food. There are a lot of fleas in the den, they seize the whole family. As soon as the puppies grow up a little and can move independently, the fox moves to another place. Upon reaching three months, weaned from breast milk. From the age of three months, babies are taught to hunt small animals.
Gray fox food
The main diet of the tree fox consists of plant foods. Among all wolves, this variety is most prone to plant foods. It feeds on insects, mice, ground squirrels, hares, birds and their eggs, carrion. It feeds on fruits, bulbs and grains. A squirrel can be caught on a tree and eaten.
Representatives of the danger of the gray fox
A great danger to the gray fox is the hawk, golden eagle, large owls. They attack from above, the fox cannot cope with them. Red lynxes and dogs prey on small foxes.
The fur of the gray fox is not valued. Therefore, a person does not hunt a gray fox. The state of Texas is overrun with gray foxes. Animals love to catch mice in the farmers' fields, this helps in the fight against rodents. But often foxes become pests of farms, then they are caught with traps and shot.
Video about the gray fox
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LIsitsa gray, 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 in most of North America from the southern regions of Canada to the Isthmus of Panama, also in the north of South America (Venezuela and Colombia). The gray fox has not been found in the Rocky Mountains in the far northwest of the United States. The gray fox disappeared from Canada in the late 17th century, but recently they have been found in southern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. In a number of places it disappeared after the acclimatization of the brown fox from Europe. Some researchers argue that the causal relationship between these events is doubtful. In their opinion, the decline in the number of the gray fox, and the spread of the brown fox, was the result of a change in the nature of 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, strong, hooked claws that make it easy to climb tree trunks and branches. Compared to other canines, the gray fox has a rather variegated color, and its coat is rather short and coarse. The tail is triangular in cross section, not rounded. Skull length: from 9.5 to 12.8 cm. Dental formula, as in a brown fox, the number of teeth is 42.
Color: The back, sides and upper part of the long, fluffy tail are gray or dark gray with silver speckles. The muzzle is also grey. The underside of the neck, chest, abdomen, and the front and inside 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, lateral part of the neck, the edges of the abdomen and the outer sides of the legs are painted in reddish-gray tones, and sometimes they have a bright reddish-orange color. Because of this coloration, the gray fox is sometimes erroneously identified as the brown fox, which can always be distinguished by its black legs and white tip of its tail. Foxes are almost black.
Body length - 48-69 cm; head length - 9.5-12.8 cm; tail length - 25-40 cm; height at the 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 slightly lighter than males.
Lifespan: Gray foxes live for 6 years in the wild, maximum lifespan in captivity: 15 years.
Voice: Similar to other canines, foxes communicate with each other and use sounds. These vocalizations include aggressive yelps, resonant howls, soft whimpers, and specific screams. Among the sounds made by a gray fox at the sight of a person, the most characteristic is a sharp bark.
Habitat: Most often, the gray fox can be found in bushes, on forest edges, in mountain copses. In general, it prefers wooded areas, although it is found in cultivated fields and around cities. Of the tree plantations, pine trees are the most preferred. The gray fox prefers pine groves to deciduous ones everywhere within the range, it is here that it mainly locates its lair. At the same time, for hunting and feeding, she often chooses deciduous tree and shrub plantations, in which small mammals are more numerous.
Foxes especially suffer from hunters, in particular during the hunting of wild turkeys. Special studies of the causes of mortality have shown that a person is guilty of mortality in 33% of individuals, 22% die from natural factors, 44% from unknown factors.
The gray fox is omnivorous and its diet is very diverse and depends on the season 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.), the fox does not refuse carrion either. Thanks to its ability to climb trees, its diet can also contain purely arboreal creatures such as squirrels - in some places playing an important role in the diet of the gray fox, which is not the case with other wild dogs.
Gray foxes love to climb trees, which is why they are often referred to as "tree foxes". At the first danger, they often climb low or half-fallen, tilted trees. This ability likely allowed the gray fox to coexist with coyotes, while the brown fox population declined significantly with the increase in the coyote population.
How do gray foxes climb trees? Lightly grasping the trunk of a tree with its front paws, it pushes its body up with its hind legs, which, thanks to long and strong claws, firmly hold it on the trunk. In addition, the fox is able to jump onto the branching branches of a tree, using this ability to attack prey from above from an ambush. On the ground, when chasing prey or hiding from the enemy, the fox can reach speeds of up to 17 km / h, but only at relatively short distances.
It hunts mainly at night and twilight, and all day they lie down in a secluded place, sleep and rest. Animals are usually tied to the same place, so the way of life is sedentary, they have never been seen migrating. Burrows rarely dig on their own, but more often they occupy strangers, sometimes hollow trees are chosen as their own home, they can settle in crevices of rocks, voids under stones and trunks, even in abandoned buildings. In east Texas, a hollow was found used by a fox to rest about 10m above the ground in a large hollow oak tree. In central Texas, a den was found in a hollow living oak tree with an entrance 1m above the ground. An unusual lair was found under a pile of wood into which the fox had "tunneled."
Foxes need clean water to drink, so they visit the pond regularly. In this regard, they locate their lairs near the source of drinking water, where, over time, a well-marked path is trodden.
Social structure: They live in pairs, occupying a certain family territory. In the summer, while the cubs are growing up, gray foxes roam in family flocks, which break up 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 of 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 an overlap depends both on the forage of the plots and on the season of the year. Being rather silent territories, gray foxes mark their territorial boundaries with the help of heaps of droppings and urine, which are left on the most visible landmarks such as tufts of grass and protruding structures: earthen hummocks, stumps, individual stones, etc. These scent marks are regularly updated, but especially in places frequented by animals. A specific smell is provided by a secret that produces a pair of violet glands located on both sides of the anus. Both males and females seem to raise their legs when marking their territory with urine. A pungent smell, very similar to that of skunks, is easily detected even by humans in places where gray foxes often mark "border posts".
Reproduction: During the breeding season, numerous rather fierce fights occur between males, after which the male winner remains with the female and forms a pair. After the appearance of offspring, males take an active part in the extraction of food for puppies and the protection of the boundaries of the family plot from the penetration of other foxes here.
Season/Breeding Period: Rutting and mating times vary by latitude 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, foliage or crushed tree bark, from 2 to 7 (average 3.8) black-brown, blind and helpless puppies are born. In puppies weighing about 100 g, the eyes are closed and they open only on the 10-14th day. Lactation: 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, the foxes try to change the old den to a new one because of the mass reproduction of fleas in them, which greatly pester both adults and puppies.
At the age of four months, puppies begin to accompany adults on hunting trips.
Young puppies are in their first year and have been known to travel up to 84 km. Puppies are weaned at or around 6 weeks old. Gradually the pups learn to reclaim for themselves, at 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. In the state of Texas, the gray fox is among the most important fur animals. The gray fox is abundant in desert areas - it often helps farmers in the fight against harmful rodents. When the gray fox itself becomes a pest, eating chickens and destroying crops, farmers shoot them or catch them with all kinds of traps.
Widespread species, no threat of destruction.
Description
Small gray fox. Around the dark brown nose, the hair is “colored” with a white spot, the main color is red-brown, the sides, neck and paws of the gray fox are covered with hair of this color. The abdomen is covered with white fur. A black line is also characteristic, stretching from the base of the tail to its tip. Another distinctive feature is another black line that crosses the face from the nose to the eyes, then "leaving" on the sides of the head back. The height at the withers is 30-40 cm. The gray fox is very agile and dexterous, for his family, he runs fast, and also knows how to climb trees (she was also called tree fox).
A gray fox of a dense build, with shorter paws compared to a red fox, so she is smaller, but her long fluffy tail looks more luxurious than that of her rival, but her undercoat does not save so well from the cold than that of red fox. Therefore, the gray fox cannot live in a particularly cold climate.
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 cubs, which leave their parents for 11 months. Perhaps it is precisely because of this ability to be fertile that this species did not end up 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
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U. cinereoargenteus, drawing by J. G. Kjolemans, 1890
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Drawing of six species of the canine family, gray fox at the bottom, left
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U. cinereoargenteus, New Mexico
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U. cinereoargenteus, Minnesota
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U. cinereoargenteus, north Florida
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U. cinereoargenteus at an altitude of 2.1 thousand meters in California
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Red fox meeting Vulpes vulpes) with gray ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
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Notes
An excerpt characterizing the Gray Fox
The so-called guerrilla war began with the entry of the enemy into Smolensk.Before guerrilla warfare was officially accepted by our government, already thousands of people of the enemy army - backward marauders, foragers - were exterminated by Cossacks and peasants, who beat these people as unconsciously as dogs unconsciously kill a runaway rabid dog. Denis Davydov, with his Russian intuition, was the first to understand the significance of that terrible club, which, without asking the rules of military art, destroyed the French, and he owns the glory of the first step in legitimizing this method of war.
On August 24, the first partisan detachment of Davydov was established, 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 the Great Army in parts. They picked up those falling leaves that fell of themselves from a withered tree - the French army, and sometimes shook this tree. In October, while the French fled to Smolensk, there were hundreds of these parties of various sizes and characters. There were parties that adopted all the methods of the army, with infantry, artillery, headquarters, with the comforts of life; there were only Cossack, cavalry; there were small, prefabricated, foot and horse, there were peasants and landlords, unknown to anyone. There was a deacon head of the party, who took several hundred prisoners a month. There was an elder, Vasilisa, who beat hundreds of Frenchmen.
The last days of October were the time of the height of the guerrilla war. That first period of this war, during which the partisans, themselves surprised at their audacity, were afraid at any moment to be caught and surrounded by the French and, without unsaddling and almost dismounting their horses, hid through the forests, waiting for every minute of the chase, has already passed. Now this war was already determined, it became clear to everyone what could be done with the French and what could not be done. Now only those commanders of the detachments, who, according to the rules, went away from the French with headquarters, still considered many things impossible. The small partisans, who had long ago begun their work and were closely looking out for the French, considered possible what the leaders of large detachments did not even dare to think about. The Cossacks and the peasants, who climbed between 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 main road, he followed a large French transport of cavalry things and Russian prisoners, separated from other troops and under strong cover, as was known from scouts and prisoners, heading for 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 heads of large detachments with headquarters: everyone knew about this transport and, as Denisov said, they sharpened their teeth on it. Two of these great detachment commanders - one Pole, the other German - almost at the same time sent an invitation to Denisov to join his detachment in order to attack the transport.