Gray fox. Fox breeds. See what "Gray Fox" is in other dictionaries

Name: Gray fox, tree fox, lat. Urocyon cinereoargenteus.

Appearance

The gray fox differs from the common fox in having a denser build, short legs and shorter stature. Her tail looks bushier and longer. However, due to its thin undercoat, it does not tolerate cold weather so well. The gray fox also has a shorter muzzle and ears. The upper part of the body, head and tail are gray, with a black tint, condensing on the ridge and tail into a black belt. The sides and neck are reddish-brown, and there are white spots around the nose.

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 the tree fox).

It is noteworthy that gray foxes unusual color of the tip of the tail - it is black.

Behavior

Gray foxes feed on all kinds of small animals, birds, insects, and sometimes carry chickens. More than other types of foxes, they have a tendency to plant foods, so sometimes fruits and green parts of plants even predominate in their diet. After 63 days of pregnancy, the female brings up to 7 puppies covered with black fur in the spring. After a month and a half, they begin to eat regular food, and in late summer or early autumn they begin to live independently, while their parents continue to live together.

Gray foxes live only where there are trees. They are the only representatives of the wolf family that can climb trees well, which is why they are often called tree foxes. They freely climb the trunk to the crown, walk along the branches, rest there, hide from persecution, and, on occasion, destroy the nests of squirrels and birds . This ability likely allowed the gray fox to coexist with coyotes, while the brown fox population declined significantly as the coyote population increased.

However, the main shelters for gray foxes are holes, crevices among stones and rocks, caves, and hollows in fallen trees.

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.

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 occupy other people’s burrows, sometimes as own home They are fond of tree hollows and can settle in rock crevices, voids under stones and trunks, even in abandoned buildings.

Gray foxes need clean water to drink, 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.

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 size of the species by up to half.

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.

Habitat

The gray fox is found throughout most of North America from southern regions Canada to the Isthmus of Panama also in northern South America (Venezuela and Colombia). Gray fox not found in Rocky Mountains in 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.

Most often, the gray fox can be found in thickets of bushes, on forest edges, and in mountain copses.

Subspecies of gray fox

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

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 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 size 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

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• 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 from wild foxes are obtained: 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 small defenseless duck named Gray Neck was injured by a fox, 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...

The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), or tree fox, is a very unusual mammal because it looks more like a small dog with a bushy tail. They live in Canada, in the central and southwestern states of America, Venezuela, and are found in California and Mexico. They got their name from the gray-silver saddle cloth on their back and sides. Although the lower part on the sides, neck, base of the tail, back, paws, as well as the lower part of the tail are the same bright rusty-red color as that of an ordinary red fox. They are also distinguished by a black stripe that runs along the top of the croup and throughout the entire fluffy tail. The stripe ends with a black tip on the tail. The animal's muzzle is silvery gray, with a white rim around the black nose. This fur color camouflages well from predators.

The gray fox is also unusual in that it is the only species in the wolf family that can climb trees. There she hides from enemies and sits in ambush, tracking down prey. And to climb a tree, she has to climb up the trunk, pushing off with long hooked claws on her hind legs. No worse than a squirrel, the animal can move along the crown of trees, jumping from branch to branch or sliding down in the opposite direction.

This mammal cannot be called a particularly fast runner, but over short distances it can also develop good speed. Short, very powerful and well-developed paws give the animal a huge advantage when it climbs up trees or rocks, and strong, hooked claws allow it to cling to trunks and branches.

Gray foxes are nocturnal animals and hide in their dens during the day, marking the boundaries of their territory with urine. Females reach sexual maturity in a year, and look for a mate from February to March. Pairs are permanent and the father of the cubs remains with the female until they are born, but then he is expelled from the den.

Typically, from 3 to 5 cubs are born after 50-55 days of pregnancy, but there are also large litters of up to 11 cubs. The babies are dark brown and blind from birth, but already open their eyes on the 10th day. The mother stops caring for the cubs after 10 weeks. All this time, the father regularly supplies the family with food. By winter, the couples separate, and the cubs become completely independent; each must survive the harshest time alone. The average lifespan of this species is up to 6 years. wildlife and about 12 years in captivity.

The gray fox is a solitary hunter, but its diet is very diverse: berries, nuts, birds, insects, and all types of rodents, in addition, the ability to climb trees allows it to find food that is inaccessible to its ordinary red relative. If she manages to get more food than she can eat at once, she will definitely hide it and return later. And to find the burial site, he will mark it with urine. In arid regions, animals eat more insects, arthropods, and plant foods than foxes living in the east.

The gray fox has several predators other than humans. Hawks, eagles, owls, lynxes, dogs and even

Fox is a generalized name for several species of mammals in the large canid family (Canidae). Twelve species of this group belong to the genus of foxes proper (true foxes), but some other species are also called foxes. Occupying different continents, all 23 species of foxes presented below have a characteristic appearance and a similar lifestyle, but at the same time, each species has its own characteristics.

The fox is a predator with a sharp muzzle, a narrow and somewhat flattened head, rather large ears and a long fluffy tail. To all of us early childhood I'm familiar with the red-haired, thieving cheat - the heroine of many fairy tales and fables, who always manages to get around her relative - the wolf. Obviously, the cunning of the fox in the tales of many cultures reflects the plasticity of the species and its wide distribution. Indeed, foxes are very unpretentious to environment, they know how to adapt well and have been able to settle quite comfortably on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.

There are 3 separate branches of "fox-like" canids. The closest of them to the common ancestors are 2 species of gray foxes (Urucyon). The age of this genus is 4-6 million years. And although they are phenotypically similar to foxes of the genus Vulpes, they are not genetically related to them. Big-eared fox (Otocyon) – too ancient look canids, which is genetically and morphologically separated from all other foxes (genus age 3 million years). These species make up the first branch.

The second branch is the species of the genus Vulpes (common foxes). This branch is divided into 2 parts - the common fox type and the fennec type. The fennec fox and the Afghan fox represent the result of an ancient divergence (4.5 million years). The branch comprising the species of the common fox group includes the American corsac and arctic fox, the American fox, as well as many of the Old World species. They diverged only recently (0.5 million years) and form a separate subgroup within the common fox phylum.

The third branch consists of all South American species. This branch stands closer to the genus Caris (Wolves) than to other foxes. The little fox and Maikong are the ancestral forms of this group (age 3 million years); most other Dusicyon species arose relatively recently (1.0-2.5 million years ago).

Species of foxes of the genus Vulpes

The fox genus Vulpes is the largest and most widespread among canids, numbering 12 species of foxes. Representatives of this genus can be found in the far north, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The characteristic features of foxes of the genus Vulpes are a pointed muzzle, triangular erect ears, a long and fluffy tail, and a flat skull compared to the genus Canis. The color of the tip of the tail is usually different from the main color. There are black triangular markings on the muzzle between the eyes and nose.

Common fox Vulpes vulpes

Currently, there are about 48 subspecies, which are distributed from the Arctic Circle to the deserts of Asia and North Africa and Central America. They were also introduced to Australia. This is such a common species that it is most likely the most flexible of all carnivores.

Body length is on average 75 cm, tail – 40-69 cm, weight can reach 10 kg. The coat is rusty to fiery red above, and white to black below. The tip of the tail is often white. There are silver and other color varieties.

Bengal (Indian) fox Vulpes bengalensis

Inhabits India, Pakistan, Nepal. It lives in steppes, open forests, thorny bushes and semi-deserts up to 1350 m above sea level.

Body length – 45-60 cm, tail – 25-35 cm, weight – 1.8-3.2 kg. The color of the short, smooth coat is sandy-red, the paws are reddish-brown, and the tip of the tail is black.

Vulpes chama

Distributed in Africa south of Zimbabwe and Angola. You can meet it in the steppes and rocky deserts.

Body length – 45-60 cm, tail – 30-40 cm, weight – 3.5-4.5 kg.The color is reddish-brown agouti with a silver-gray back, the tip of the tail is black, there is no dark facial mask.

Korsak Vulpes corsac

Found in steppe zone south-eastern part of Russia, in Central Asia, Mongolia, in Transbaikalia to the north of Manchuria and the north of Afghanistan.

Externally, the corsac looks like common fox, but much smaller. Body length 50-60 cm, tail – 22-35 cm, weight – 2.5-4 kg. The coat color is brownish-gray, the chin is white or slightly yellowish. Characteristic feature Corsacs have wide, noticeably prominent cheekbones.

Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata

Inhabits the steppe areas of the highlands (4500-4800 m above sea level) of Tibet and Nepal.

Body length – 60-67 cm, tail – 28-32 cm, weight – 4-5.5 kg. The body and ears are colored light gray agouti, the tip of the tail is white. The long and narrow head appears square due to the thick and dense collar. The fangs are elongated.

African fox Vulpes pallida

Inhabits North Africa from the Red Sea to the Atlantic, from Senegal to Sudan and Somalia. Lives in deserts.

Body length – 40-45 cm, tail – 27-30 cm, weight – 2.5-2.7 kg. The coat is short and thin. The body and ears are yellowish-brown, the paws are red, and the tip of the tail is black. There are no markings on the face.

sand fox Vulpes rueppelii

Found from Morocco to Afghanistan, northern Cameroon, northeastern Nigeria, Chad, Congo, Somalia, Egypt, Sudan. Inhabits deserts.

Body length – 40-52 cm, tail – 25-35 cm, weight – 1.7-2 kg. The coat is pale sandy in color, the tip of the tail is white, and there are black spots on the muzzle. It has large ears that help regulate body temperature, and the fur on its paw pads makes it easier to move across hot sand.

American corsac Vulpes velox

Found from Texas to South Dakota. From 1900 to 1970 this species was found in the northern Great Plains, in Canada, but, apparently, the American corsac was completely exterminated: in 1928 the fox disappeared from the province of Saskatchewan, and in 1938 from the province of Alberta. However, it has now been successfully reintroduced to the Canadian prairie.

Body length – 37-53 cm, tail – 22-35 cm, weight – 2-3 kg. The coat is pale gray in winter, red in summer; the tip of the tail is black, and there are black spots on the sides of the muzzle.

American fox Vulpes macrotis

Inhabits northwestern Mexico and southwestern United States. Lives in prairies and arid steppes.

Body length – 38-50 cm, tail – 22-30 cm, weight – 1.8-3 kg. The coat is yellow-red in color, the limbs are reddish-brown. The tail has a black tip and is very fluffy.

Vulpes cana

Inhabits Afghanistan, northeast Iran, Balochistan; an isolated population is known in Israel. You can meet it in mountainous regions.

Body length – 42-48 cm, tail – 30-35 cm, weight – 1.5-3 kg. The color is most often uniform dark, in winter time– brownish-gray. Bare paw pads are adapted for life in areas with steep slopes.

fennec Vulpes zerda

It is sometimes placed in the genus Fennecus due to its large ears, rounded skull and small teeth. Lives in North Africa, across the entire Sahara east to Sinai and Arabia. Lives in sandy deserts.

Body length – 24-41 cm, tail – 18-31 cm, weight – 0.9-1.5 kg. - the smallest of all foxes. The coat color is cream, the tip of the tail is black. The paw pads are pubescent. A notable feature of the fennec cat is its huge ears, which make up 20% of the body surface, helping the animal to cool itself in daytime heat(at high temperature air vessels in the ears expand, increasing heat transfer). However, at temperatures below 20° C, the fennec begins to shiver from the cold.

Arctic fox(arctic fox) Vulpes (Alopex) lagopus

Modern scientific classification sometimes classifies singular gender arctic foxes to the genus of foxes. The Arctic fox inhabits the subpolar zone; tundra and littoral areas of the sea coast.

Body length – 53-55 cm, tail – 30-32 cm, weight – 3.1-3.8 kg. There are two types of color: "white", which looks like taupe in summer, and "blue", which looks chocolate brown in summer. The fur is very dense, at least 70% is warm undercoat. have amazing resistance to cold.

Genus Urocyon (Grey foxes)

Gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Found from the central United States to the prairies, from the south to Venezuela, from the north to Ontario.

Body length – 52-69 cm, tail – 27-45 cm, weight – 2.5-7 kg. The color is gray, with streaks, the throat is white, the paws are reddish-brown. A ridge of stiff black hairs runs along the dorsal surface of the tail.

island fox Urocyon littoralis

Distributed on the Channel Islands near California.

This is the smallest species of fox found in the United States. Body length - 48-50 cm, tail -12-29 cm, weight - 1.2-2.7 kg. Outwardly similar to the gray fox, but inferior to it in size. The island fox is mostly insectivorous.

Genus Otocyon (Big-eared foxes)

Big-eared fox Otocyon megalotis

Two populations are known: one occurs from the south of Zambia to South Africa, the other from Ethiopia to Tanzania. Prefers open spaces.

Body length – 46-58 cm, tail – 24-34 cm, weight – 3-4.5 kg. The color ranges from gray to dark yellow, there are black markings on the face, tips of the ears and paws, and a “strap” on the back. The ears are large (up to 12 cm). The big-eared fox differs from other species in its unusual dental structure: its teeth are weak, but together with additional molars they total is 46-50. The diet of this species is also very unusual: 80% of the diet consists of insects, mainly dung beetles and termites.

Genus Dusicyon (South American foxes)

The habitat of foxes of the genus Dusicyon is limited to South America. The color is usually gray with reddish-brown splashes. The skull is long and narrow; The ears are large, the tail is fluffy.

Andean foxDusicyon (Pseudalopex) culpaeus

It lives in the Andes, from Ecuador and Peru to the island of Tierra del Fuego. Found in the mountains and pampas.

Depending on the subspecies, body length varies from 60 to 115 cm, tail length - 30-45 cm, weight - 4.5-11 kg. The back and shoulders are gray, the head, neck, ears and paws are reddish-brown; the tip of the tail is black.

South American fox Dusicyon (Pseudalopex) griseus

It lives in the Andes, the population is mainly concentrated in Argentina and Chile. Lives at lower altitudes than the Andean fox.

Body length – 42-68 cm, tail – 31-36 cm, weight – 4.4 kg. The color is mottled light gray; the lower parts of the body are lighter.

Paraguayan fox Dusicyon (Pseudalopex) gymnocercus

Inhabits the pampas of Paraguay, Chile, southeastern Brazil, from southern through eastern Argentina to Rio Negro.

Body length – 62-65 cm, tail – 34-36 cm, weight – 4.8-6.5 kg.

Sekuran fox Dusicyon (Pseudalopex) sechurae

It lives in the coastal deserts of northern Peru and southern Ecuador.

Body length – 53-59 cm, tail – about 25 cm, weight – 4.5-4.7 kg. The coat is light gray, the tip of the tail is black.

Dusicyon (Pseudalopex) vetulus

Inhabits southern and central Brazil.

Body length is about 60 cm, tail is about 30 cm, weight is 2.7-4 kg. The muzzle is short, the teeth are small. The coat color of the upper body is gray, the belly is white. There is a dark line on the dorsal surface of the tail.

Darwin's fox Dusicyon (Pseudalopex) fulvipes

Found on the island of Chiloe and in national park Nahuelbuta, Chile.

Body length is about 60 cm, tail is 26 cm, weight is about 2 kg. The coat of the upper body is dark gray, the neck and belly are the color of cream. The species is endangered.

While traveling by ship in 1831, Charles Darwin acquired a specimen of the gray fox, which later received his name. In his journal, he recorded that on the island of Chiloe a fox was caught, belonging to a genus which appears to be unique to the island and very rare on it, and has not yet been described as a species. Although Darwin suspected the uniqueness of this fox, which was recently confirmed, the status of this animal remained unclear for a long time. It is distinguished by a dark brown, almost rusty head color and relatively short legs.

Dusicyon (Cerdocyon) thous

Distributed from Colombia and Venezuela to northern Argentina and Paraguay. Inhabits savannas and forests.

Body length - 60-70 cm, tail - 28-30 cm, weight -5-8 kg.

The coat is gray-brown, the ears are dark; tail with dark dorsal strap and white tip; paw pads are large; the muzzle is short.

(small fox or short-eared zorro) Dusicyon (Atelocynus) Microtis

Lives in tropical forests basin of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers. Found in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil.

Body length -72-100 cm, tail - 25-35 cm, weight up to 9 kg. The color is dark, the ears are short and rounded. The teeth are long and strong. Cat's gait.

Literature: Mammals: Complete illustrated encyclopedia /Translated from English/ Book. I. Predatory, marine mammals, primates, tupayas, woolly wings. / Ed. D. MacDonald. – M: “Omega”, – 2007.

In contact with

Gray fox or tree fox - a representative of wolves, more often found in North America and in the northern part South America. When disappeared from Canada, it appeared in Southern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec.

Appearance of a gray fox

The gray fox looks like a small dog with a beautiful fluffy tail. She is much smaller than brown foxes.

Appearance like common fox, only with a shorter muzzle and ears. Short, powerful legs have tenacious nails that allow them to climb trees and branches well. Has uneven coat color. The muzzle, back, sides and long fluffy tail are painted with gray or silver light. Red light spreads over the neck, sides of the head and torso. There is a white light below, the tip of the tail is painted black. The fur is short and coarse and covers the entire body of the fox. The fox's tail is of 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.
In nature it lives for about six years, in zoos up to fifteen.

Gray fox habitat

The animal has fallen in love with forest thickets and can also be found at the edge of the forest and small copses. Likes to approach crop fields, sometimes found in the vicinity of villages and cities. She considers pine groves her home and makes a den in them. But it hunts in deciduous woody bushes, where there are more small mammals for food. Foxes live in holes, but rarely dig themselves; they usually find secluded places, sometimes use tree hollows, are settled between stones, and other people's holes.

They live a sedentary lifestyle. Animals love to drink clean water, so habitats are chosen closer to water. Well-trodden fox paths can be seen near the water.
When foxes see people, they bark, and in the forest they make other sounds similar to howls and whimpers.

Gray fox behavior

Because foxes love to climb trees, they are called tree foxes. When a stranger approaches or dangerous object, with a quick jump and tenacious claws, they cling to a hill, to fallen and small trees, and stumps located higher. Clinging with hooked claws, they can jump to another tree. Fox is held on a tree by strong powerful legs and strong claws, she can jump from a tree after prey.

In pursuit of prey or to hide from the enemy, it runs at speeds of up to seventeen kilometers, in short intervals. The tree serves as a shelter from the enemy, here she rests, but breeds offspring in burrows.

Foxes live in pairs, each family has its own land boundary. They mark territorial spaces with their urine and droppings. They roam in family flocks all summer until their offspring grow up. Grown foxes move long distances from their mothers and subsequently look for mates. Area boundaries married couples reach large areas up to 27 square meters. The outskirts of neighboring territories often overlap.

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 show care and obtain food for the little foxes and defend their territory.

Before giving birth, the den is covered with dried leaves, grass, or small tree bark. The fox brings from two to seven babies. They are born blind and helpless, weighing no more than a hundred grams. They open their eyes on the tenth, fourteenth day. They suckle the mother for seven, nine weeks, then switch to solid food. There are a lot of fleas in the den, they eat the whole family. As soon as the puppies grow a little and can move independently, the fox moves to another place. Upon reaching three months taken away from breast milk. From three months old, babies are taught to hunt small animals.

Feeding of the gray fox

The main diet of the tree fox consists of plant foods. Among all wolves, this species is most prone to plant foods. It feeds on insects, mice, gophers, hares, birds and their eggs, and carrion. Enjoys fruits, bulbs and grains. He can catch a squirrel in a tree and eat it.

Representatives of the gray fox danger

The greatest danger to the gray fox is the hawk, golden eagle, big owls. They attack from above, the fox cannot cope with them. Red lynxes and dogs hunt small foxes.

Gray fox fur is not valued. That's why people don't hunt gray foxes. The state of Texas is overrun with gray fox numbers. Animals love to catch mice in farmers' crop fields, this helps in the fight against rodents. But often foxes become pests of farms, then they are caught in traps and shot.

Video about the gray fox