Gray fox
Gray fox
The gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) is next to the red fox and the Kit Fox, the third important Fuchsart North America. To distinguish from the island gray fox, he is sometimes referred to mainland gray fox.
Features
Grey foxes have a characteristic coat pattern: your back is gray, flanks, neck and legs are yellow-brown, and the underside is white. A black stripe runs across back and tail; the tip of the tail is black. The body length is 65 cm, added 35 cm tail; gray fox weighs about 5 kg. On average, males are slightly larger than females. Dental formula: 3/3 × 1/ 1 × 4/4 × 2 /3 = 42
Distribution and habitat
Widespread is the gray fox from southern Canada through the United States and Central America to Colombia and Venezuela. He is a resident of deciduous forests, which shuns the open ground. For this reason he is circulated only very sketchy in the Midwestern United States.
Way of life
The only dogs can gray foxes (and their relatives, the island gray foxes ) climb trees. Therefore, they are in North America, also called tree foxes. You climb on trees when they are being chased by enemies, but also of their own accord, for example, in search of food. Gray foxes are mainly nocturnal. In areas where they are hunted little, they are also seen during the day. They usually start before sunset with the search for food. Main food are probably arboreal squirrels, as well as mice, rabbits, birds and insects and alongside berries, fruits and other plant foods.
The gray fox digs not have its own building, but looking out for the day shelter in hollow trees, rock crevices or Murmeltierbauen. At night they are active. Grey foxes are monogamous and probably last a lifetime together in pairs. In the litter are an average of four puppies.
Systematics and evolution
Gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus )
Island gray fox ( Urocyon littoralis )
Raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes procyonoides )
Bat-eared Fox ( Otocyon megalotis )
South America clade ( Atelocynus, Cerdocyon, Lycalopex, Chrysocyon, Speothos )
Wolf clade (Canis, Cuon, Lycaon )
The first scientific description of the island gray fox is from Johann Christian von Schreber from the year 1775. Schreber described the species as two types, which he called Canis cinereo argenteus and Canis virginianus and arranged them so as dogs in the genus Canis a.
The gray fox is today together with the island gray fox Urocyon genus. On the basis of morphological and molecular data both were jointly classified as a sister group of the entire extant dogs while they are allocated in classical systematics usually the genuine foxes ( Vulpini ). This position as a sister group of all dogs was confirmed in 2012, a spin-off of the ancestors of the gray foxes from those of all other dogs probably about 16.5 million years ago took place, the separation into the two species known today, however, only about one million years.
Together with the nominate subspecies can be distinguished currently 16 of the gray fox:
Evolutionary history
From the gray fox domiciled in the Channel Islands of California Island gray fox comes from. During the last ice age came gray foxes on the northern Channel Islands and three developed evolutionarily there on. Island gray foxes are a typical example of Inselverzwergung - these foxes are not much larger than a domestic cat.