Natural History

The Gray Fox is a member of the Canine Family. They are much smaller than their desert relative the coyote, growing between 32-45 inches long and weighing in at 5-9 pounds. They have a grayish coat with reddish colored hairs on the ears, neck legs and underside. A black stripe runs along the top of its long, bushy, black-tipped tail. The fox prefers to inhabit rocky canyon areas.
 

The Gray Fox is primarily nocturnal, but may sometimes be seen foraging during the day, seeking small mammals, but being an omnivore, it will also eat eggs, insects, birds, fruits, acorns and berries. They breed in late winter with pups born in March or April. They often den in boulder piles, caves or other natural cavities. Both parents feed the pups, which become able to feed themselves at around 4 months of age. Foxes often leave their scat in prominent places, such as on the tops of boulders, as territorial markers.