Mammals
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus · also called gray foxes, grey fox
Startled by an approaching coyote, a gray fox does something almost no other canid on Earth can manage: it scrambles straight up the trunk of a nearby tree, hooked claws gripping the bark as it climbs to safety well out of reach.
Overview
The gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, is a forest-dwelling omnivore native to forest and brushy habitat across an extensive range spanning the southern United States through Central America and into northern South America. Its remarkable tree-climbing ability, distinctive black-tipped tail, and strong preference for wooded cover over open country make it one of the more physically unusual and behaviourally distinctive members of the dog family found anywhere in the world.
The dog family’s one true climber
While nearly every other canid on Earth is confined to the ground, the gray fox has evolved genuine tree-climbing ability, a rare adaptation that opens up both an escape route from predators and a food source unavailable to its ground-bound relatives.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and stable across suitable forest and brushy habitat throughout its extensive range in the Americas.
Gray Fox: common questions
How does the gray fox climb trees?
This species uses semi-retractable claws and a rotating wrist to grip and ascend tree trunks, making it one of the only members of the dog family in the world capable of true tree climbing, an ability most other canid species entirely lack.
Why does the gray fox climb trees?
This species climbs both to escape ground-based predators such as coyotes, which cannot follow it upward, and to reach fruit growing well above ground level, giving it access to food and safety options unavailable to most other foxes.
How can you tell a gray fox from a red fox?
The tail tip and overall colouring are the clearest clues, since the gray fox has a grizzled grey coat with rusty highlights and a tail ending in a black tip, while the red fox typically shows a reddish coat with a tail ending in a white tip, making tail colour one of the more reliable field marks between the two species.
Does the gray fox prefer open country or forest?
This species shows a distinctly stronger preference for wooded and brushy habitat compared with the red fox, which readily uses open country, generally avoiding wide open terrain in favour of the cover and climbing opportunities that forest habitat provides.