Not A Red Fox But A Gray Fox

Two Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) that have stopped by to get some of the sunflower seeds I put out. The seeds are usually for the birds but I love to see the foxes too, so it’s okay.

Slightly smaller than the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes). The Gray Fox measures about 31 to 44 inches in length, including that beautiful long tail, and 12 to 16 inches in height at the shoulder. And they average about 10 to 12 pounds.

Yep, I’m going to put out more sunflower seeds. I want to see these beautiful creatures more often.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

4 thoughts on “Not A Red Fox But A Gray Fox”

  1. How surprising that the gray fox is a different genus and species from the red fox! Is it actually a fox?

    1. Hi Ann, we’re really getting into the weeds here. From Wikipedia: Genetic analyses of the fox-like canids confirmed that the gray fox is a distinct genus from the red foxes (Vulpes spp.). The genus Urocyon is considered to be sister to the other living canid taxa.[19] Genetically, the gray fox often clusters with two other ancient lineages: The east Asian raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the African bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis).

      Thank bunches from reading my posts, and for keeping in touch!
      Happy New Year!
      Bren

    1. Hi Diane!

      Things are great here. After spending a few “Christmas days” here in Virginia, our son, his wife, and their 10 yr old daughter have gone to NJ for more “Christmas days”. I was delighted to hear that the other big snow fan in the family, my granddaughter, found that there was snow on the ground when they arrived in NJ! Pure delight!

      Thanks for reading my posts!
      Wishing you the very best for 2025!
      Bren

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