No Red Foxes Allowed in the Tree Fort
When most people think about foxes, they probably picture the animal known as a red fox (Vulpes vulpes), with its rusty-reddish fur, bushy tail, and white chest and neck. But the fox that has been around the longest in North America is called the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus).
Only gray foxes can climb trees, so if you’re ever out walking in the woods and you see a fox with a black-tipped tail or a fox building a tree fort, you can be sure that fox is a gray fox.
When you look, you see. But you might need to look up.
All foxes like to keep a low profile and are mostly nocturnal, so it can be a challenge to see one in the wild. Gray foxes are even more challenging to see, because they have the ability to hide out in trees.
The gray fox is thought to live just about everywhere in the contiguous United States, with the exception of some mountainous areas in the Northwest. So, if you’ve got a place where you and your family can take a walk in the woods, there’s always a chance you might spot one!
Climb into some more cool stuff about these climbing canines.
Gray foxes are our native fox species and they are thought to be one of the oldest types of canines around. Here are just a few resources for you to get to know these awesome creatures just a little better!
Kids, remember to ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for help whenever you are looking for books or using the Internet. I always try to make sure to share kid-friendly books and resources, but websites are changing all the time, so always check with an adult first.
- Check out gray foxes in action in this Creature Feature about Ash and Buckeye at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History: https://www.cmnh.org/perkins-wildlife-home/woods-garden/gray-fox
- It can be hard to see a gray fox, but sometimes you can hear them make a barking or screeching sound in the forest. There is a cool sound clip of that and some other great great fox info here: https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/gray-fox
- For those of us who grew up in South Carolina, just hearing the voice of naturalist Rudy Mancke meant we were about to learn something cool about nature. Give a listen to one of Rudy’s classic NatureNotes for a little info on the gray fox. https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/show/naturenotes/2023-08-02/gray-fox