Animal Tracks - Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Natural History of Gray Foxes

Gray fox tracks show four toes and claws. Sometimes, the semi-retractable claws do not show. Their tracks average less than two inches in length. Tracks commonly run in straight lines, one print in front of the other. Front and hind prints overlap each other and appear as one print. Only foxes and members of the cat family walk in this manner. In fine mud, the hair on the foot may be visible in the track.

Gray foxes are primarily nocturnal and hunt small mammals. Sometimes, they hunt by day. They are the only canines that can climb trees. They seek refuge in trees and also climb to find food. The bark of the gray fox sounds like a hoarse cough. If you startle a fox, it may bark at you.

Foxes are omnivorous. They eat small mammals, birds, insects, eggs, fruit, nuts, grains, and even human garbage. Rabbits are a preferred prey animal. In campgrounds, you might see them at night, picking through fire rings in search of morsels from campers' meals. They are frequently seen crossing roads at night. In towns, they often eat pet food.

Foxes den in rock piles or hollow logs. About five young are born in spring. Both parents care for the young and teach them how to hunt.

Sly, the fox from Florida Sly the Fox

	The front track shown on left has a lot of space between the heel pad and the toes. You can tell it is a front track because the heel pad is more robust than that of the hind track. (See pair of tracks below.) Front tracks are larger than the hind ones.
Gray fox trail in alluvial river silt. This photo was taken in summer, when the details of the tracks are easily lost as the winds pick up over the course of a day. These tracks were found in the morning. By afternoon, only the rounded dots were left to indicate a fox had passed here.
	The gray fox was walking along and paused to sit down and scratch. The actions are easily visible in this print. The fine hairs from the tail left marks behind where the fox sat. The fox's entire body left this track. The two prints in the upper right of the photo are the fox's approach trail. This type of soil is excellent for finding such detail. It is fragile and wind easily carries away these tracks. Getting out early in the morning increases your chances of finding complete stories like this one.
The photo on the right shows a fox-eye view of a fox trail along the river bar. Note how the prints overlap. Each print is actually a hind print on top of a front one.
	The front track is on the right and the hind track is on the left in this photo. Front track is larger. The hind track appears skinnier. The claw marks are far ahead of the toes, indicating fairly long claws. The gray fox is the only canine that can climb trees. Perhaps these long claws help it climb.
The hind track of a gray fox cast in plaster of Paris. This cast is from a mold and shows details that rarely show in casts made in the field.
	Gray fox track in mud along the south fork of the Eel River near Redway, California. The tiny tracks in the upper right of the photo are mouse tracks. Note the hair visible in the fox track. This photo was taken December 20, 2000.

Gray Fox Photo Gallery
	This fox was hunting along the edge of a mowed field.
Foxes, like many other animals, will eat grass to aid their digestion.
	This fox was sitting on a roadside outside a dining hall. The fox waited until the people had cleared out, then came closer to search for scraps.
Same fox, sniffing for food.
	The fox patiently waited on the road, not bothered at all by the presence of people.
This fox, encountered during the daytime, was a little more shy about being around humans.

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Great series of photos of a gray fox climbing a tree. These photos were donated by J. Muse. Thanks! The object the fox is trying to get is a cone filled with peanut butter. It is used to feed the squirrels, but the fox decided it would make a nice snack. Gray foxes are the only canines that can climb trees.