Field guide · species

Gray Fox

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

The gray fox is a North American canid with an unusual climbing ability. This makes woodland structure important in a way that differs from the ecology of strictly ground-oriented foxes.

Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

Tree of lifeScientific lineage
  1. LifeLife
  2. DomainEukaryota
  3. KingdomAnimalia
  4. PhylumChordata
  5. ClassMammalia
  6. OrderCarnivora
  7. FamilyCanidae
  8. GenusUrocyon
  9. SpeciesUrocyon cinereoargenteus
Advanced classification

Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

  1. cellular organisms cellular root
  2. Eukaryota domain
  3. Opisthokonta clade
  4. Metazoa kingdom
  5. Eumetazoa clade
  6. Bilateria clade
  7. Deuterostomia clade
  8. Chordata phylum
  9. Craniata subphylum
  10. Vertebrata clade
  11. Gnathostomata clade
  12. Teleostomi clade
  13. Euteleostomi clade
  14. Sarcopterygii superclass
  15. Dipnotetrapodomorpha clade
  16. Tetrapoda clade
  17. Amniota clade
  18. Mammalia class
  19. Theria clade
  20. Eutheria clade
  21. Boreoeutheria clade
  22. Laurasiatheria superorder
  23. Carnivora order
  24. Caniformia suborder
  25. Canidae family
  26. Urocyon genus
  27. Urocyon cinereoargenteus species
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Physical traits

Grizzled gray fur contrasts with reddish and pale areas. A long tail adds to the foxlike outline.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Habitat and range

Woodland, brushy cover and mixed forest-edge landscapes provide food and refuge.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Diet and nutrition

Small vertebrates, fruit and invertebrates all contribute to its omnivorous diet.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Behavior and activity

Gray foxes can climb trees for shelter and access. Pair and family associations vary with the breeding cycle.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Geographic distribution

The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Belize, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, United States, Venezuela.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Evidence

Sources

Connected life

No reviewed ecological connections in the collection yet.

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