Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) by Robert F Carter
While pretty much every Michigander is familiar with the iconic red fox, Michigan is also home to the smaller & rarely seen gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). They’re so elusive in fact that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is hoping you can help them pinpoint where they live:
The DNR recently partnered with Northern Michigan University, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians and The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians to conduct a research project on both red and gray foxes, with some results suggesting gray foxes may be much rarer in Michigan than previously believed.
To better understand their distribution across the state, wildlife researchers are launching a statewide effort to collect gray fox observations from the public. If you’ve seen a gray fox, whether recently or years ago, the DNR wants to hear from you. Photographs are especially valuable because they help researchers confirm sightings and gain more clarity on where gray foxes are living in Michigan today.
“Gray foxes are one of Michigan’s least understood mammals,” said Cody Norton, DNR furbearer specialist. “By sharing sightings and photographs, residents can help us get a better sense of where these animals occur and provide information that will shape future research and conservation efforts.”
If you have seen a gray fox recently or have photographs and location information of gray foxes from previous years, the DNR encourages you to submit those observations!
Robert shared that this particular Gray fox stopped by his backyard back in July of 2013 writing:
8-22-13. This photo was taken on July 1, 2013. The range of the Gray Fox is not supposed to include my home area (i.e., the extreme northwest area of Michigan’s lower peninsula). I figured this guy (gal) was a transient. Today, 8-22-13, as my wife and I sat on our back porch, we saw four (4) Gray Foxes trot across our backyard, spaced about 40 feet apart, one after the other. It caught us quite by surprise and we thought, maybe, it was a mom and her three little ones (though they were nearly the same size and in our surprise we were unable to make an accurate size comparison). We are now convinced that our area should be considered part of the Gray Fox range.
Read Robert’s excellent writeup on gray foxes below and see more pics in his My Neighborhood gallery on Flickr.
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) by Robert F Carter
This guy stopped to search for food in my backyard for several minutes. Gray foxes remain solitary for most of the year. They are primarily a nocturnal animal, but have occasionally been spotted during the daytime as in this photo. Though usually not very large, they can approach 20 pounds in weight.
Gray foxes prefer dens close to a water supply. The den may be located under or between large rocks, in an underground burrow, or even in hollow tree trunks or limbs (they can climb due to their retractable claws). They are the only member of the Canidae that can climb trees. Some of the physical traits unique to the gray fox (e.g., short legs and retractable claws) have lead researchers to suggest that they are one of the more primitive members of the Canidae family. They communicate by barking and growling.
The primary predators of the Gray Fox are bobcats, coyotes, golden eagles, and great-horned owls.
Gray Foxes have oval-shaped pupils and the area around the eyes has a thin black stripe from the outside corner of the eye to the side of the head. Additionally, a thick black stripe runs from the inside corner of the eye, down the muzzle to the mouth. Gray Foxes are sometimes misidentified as Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes), however Red Foxes have slit-shaped eyes, larger feet, longer legs, and a leaner body.
