Though the Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) looks a lot like a Red Fox, they are essentially unrelated.
The Gray Fox and the Channel Island Fox (a small island cousin) are the only surviving members of the genus Urocyon, which is the root stock of all other living canids.
Gray Fox are more likely to be found in the mountains and in deep woods, while Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) are creatures of farm fields and suburban edge habitat.
Unlike a Red Fox, a Gray Fox will climb a tree as readily as a cat, and so were poor sport for early American mounted hunts.
The easiest way to distinguish between a Red and Gray Fox is to look at the legs and ears — Red Fox have black legs and black at the back of the ears. Gray Fox are grey all over, but with a gentle reddish wash on the underside. A Red Fox may be blonde to red, and will generally (but not always) have a white tip at the end of its tail.
The two fox are about the same size, but Gray Fox top out at lower weights, and have a slightly different shape to their muzzle.
No comments:
Post a Comment