I have only ever seen
a fox in the wild a few times during my life. Sadly more often than not they
are dead on the side of the road. Here at Baltimore Woods we have had sightings
of Vulpes vuples or red fox and have discovered at least two dens throughout
the property. As for the Urocyon cinereoargenteus (say that 5 times fast) or
gray fox, we have yet to see one here at The Woods. Both species are primarily
nocturnal but it is not unusual to see them out during the day, especially when
they have young to feed. Although we may not actually see fox very often, we are always seeing signs of fox like tracks and dens.
Can you tell the
difference between a red fox and gray fox?
Check out the pictures below and
test your skills!
 |
| A |
 |
| B |
How did you do?
A. Gray Fox
B. Red Fox
Here are some
characteristics to help with identifying the two:
Red fox (8-12lbs 48-57 inches)
- Deep red to orange coat all year round
- Black boots and ears
- Big bushy tail with white tip
Gray Fox (7-13lbs 31-44 inches)
- Grizzled gray coat with reddish underbelly
- White, black and reddish colors on the face
- Grayish white tail with a black tip
Another big difference
between these two beautiful creatures is habitat.
Red fox prefer edge
of forest habitat with a mixture of fields and grasslands where they can hunt
and still have some cover. They do not make their own dens opting to take over
small mammal burrows or within the root systems of large trees usually near
water.
Gray fox are known as
the forest fox because of their preference to build dens in hollow logs or trees
in deciduous forests as well as nooks with thick cover that are ideal for
blending in. This nickname is also due to the cool adaptation they possess for
climbing trees, something their red colored cousins cannot do. With curved
claws on their front paws as well as being able to rotate their arms, gray fox
are able to climb up trees fast and jump from branch to branch. This helps them
to evade predators like coyotes.
When it comes to food
however, these two carnivores are opportunists and eat pretty much anything
they can get their paws on! Both fox enjoy delicious meals that include
rabbits, mice, squirrels and some birds and their eggs.
Check out this video of the red fox hunting technique of pouncing!
Now that I’ve held
you in suspense I will answer the age-old question: what does the fox say?
Like most animals
there is not just one call the fox makes. It’s said that dogs say “bark” but any
dog owner knows they have more than one call. Fox, especially the red, are very
vocal, keeping in constant contact with their family. They have a range of
high-pitched yips and barks, even eerie screaming yelps that the vixens (female
fox) use as a mating call.
Check out this website for a variety of calls the fox make. This site also
has a lot of cool information on fox! If you’re interested in the location of the
fox dens at Baltimore Woods stop by and ask one of our naturalists, you may be
able to find some tracks and traces!
Blog post by Becky Lynch
No comments:
Post a Comment