I haven’t posted an update on our Grey Fox family in a while, so I thought I should. I am also going to try to answer some of the questions I’ve received about the foxes. I am so happy that they are comfortable sharing their space so that I can observe their antics. The ability to watch this little Grey Fox family is how I am collecting information and learning about their lives.
How long have you been watching the foxes? Have you seen any baby foxes?
I’ve been observing the two grey foxes for 2-3 years, and I first wrote about them in November 2019. They are a bonded pair, and research confirms that wild grey foxes are monogamous animals. There is clearly a strong bond between Walker and Fluffy. They hunt together, play together, and positively interact with each other. I’ve assumed that they had babies but I was not successful photographing them (the proper term for baby foxes is “kits”) until recently.
In this evening video, you can see one parent, Walker, leading the way, followed by a baby, and then Fluffy. I was concerned because there was only one baby in the video. I expected a larger litter, but the litter size ranges from 1 to 7 kits, according to Wikipedia. “Kits begin to hunt with their parents at the age of 3 months. By the time that they are four months old, the kits will have developed their permanent dentition and can now forage on their own.” So this little family will remain together until sometime in the autumn. I hope I can get more pictures while they are together.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_fox
The faces of the two foxes have a cat-like appearance in the pictures that you’ve posted. Are they feline or canine or something else?
Grey foxes are members of the canine family, just like wolves, coyotes, and domestic dogs. I agree, though; they do appear quite “cat-like.”
When are they the most active? Have you ever seen them during the day?
My little fox family is very active around the clock. They are the cutest! Supposedly Grey foxes are primarily nocturnal, but I have photos and videos of vigorous day time activity and play. I also have many pictures of their nighttime hunting. But I have never seen them in person. They are very elusive, yet they could watch my every move, and I wouldn’t know it.
Note: I’ve learned to identify Walker and Fluffy by the markings on their tails. Walker has the black strip running the complete length of his tail, and Fluffy has a much shorter black stripe. I think it appears like a dot.
What have I observed the foxes doing?
They seem to love to sniff around, dig, and pounce one another. I’ve read that grey foxes are the only canines that can climb trees. They have sharp hooked claws that allow them to do this. I’ve never observed this, but I am watching.
Note: While researching foxes, I’ve noticed the use (spelling) of both Grey and Gray Fox is correct.
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