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Project Noah Nature School
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
The gray fox is mainly distinguished from most other canids by its grizzled upper parts, strong neck and black-tipped tail, while the skull can be easily distinguished from all other North American canids by its widely separated temporal ridges that form a U-shape. There is little sexual dimorphism, save for the females being slightly smaller than males. The gray fox ranges from 76-112.5 cm (30-44.3 in) in total length. The tail measures 27.5-44.3 cm (10.8-17.4 in) of that length and its hind feet measure 100-150 mm (3.9-5.9 in). The gray fox typically weighs 3.6-7 kg (7.9-15 lb), though exceptionally can weigh as much as 9 kg (20 lb).
My neighborhood.
I know that we have foxes in our urban small town, but it is unusual to see one wandering by in the daytime. So I was very surprised to catch sight of this one going along the fence. And I was glad my outdoor cat had just come in!
Right you are, Jacob. Thanks! Emily, it was a stunning fox; I see them not infrequently in my backyard but always at night, so this was a big surprise. Coyotes have also moved into the neighborhood, so perhaps they have begun changing their hunting habits.
Dang it J, you beat me to it! This is definitely a Gray Fox! Very cool spotting I've never seen one!
What a striking individual, Maria! Though I think this is Urocyon cinereoargenteus, commonly distributed through the southern US. I've seen them in California, too.
Spotted on Oct 26, 2012
Submitted on Oct 28, 2012
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