Living with Foxes
This
canid has well-developed teeth; strong nonretractable claws;
and acute senses of smell, sight, and hearing.
The gray (or tree) fox (Urocyon
cinereoargenteus) is common in San Diego County. Fox have long
bodies, relatively short legs, pointed noses, bushy tails,
and large, pointed ears. Gray foxes average three to four feet
long, including the tail, and weigh 7 to 13 pounds.
Their basic color is grizzled gray
with a distinctive black streak along the top to the black
tip of the tail. They are rusty yellowish on the feet, legs,
sides, neck, and back of the ears.
Gray foxes are found in suburban
and rural areas alike; they reside in all the small canyons
and brushy areas. They prefer chaparral and open forests and
den in hollow logs, beneath boulders, or, sometimes, in ground
burrows. They are often seen in areas that are seemingly well
populated by humans due to the ever present crush of progress.
Gray foxes are omnivorous, eating
small mammals, insects, fruits, birds, eggs, and carrion. They
will not harm a domestic adult cat or small dog. They are timid,
elusive, and primarily nocturnal.
They are the only true tree-climbers
among canids, climbing to sun themselves or to escape predators.
They can scale just about any kind of fencing, climb trees,
telephone poles, etc. They are sometimes seen on rooftops of
houses and buildings. Gray fox are also good swimmers and can
run up to 20 mph.
Territories can vary from 100 to
2,000 acres, depending on habitat quality, food availability,
population density, and competition with other species. Gray
foxes can live to be six to eight years old, but most die within
the first year from disease, predation, accidents, trapping,
and hunting. They have a loud bark and also squeal and growl.
Their anal scent glands give off a powerful odor.
Foxes' primary enemies are large
predators, including eagles, large owls, bobcats, domestic
dogs, coyotes, and humans. They will not attack a human but
will fight to protect their young. Their defenses include elusiveness;
when threatened, gray foxes climb trees. Many foxes are shot
or poisoned by farmers concerned about their livestock, or
are hunted or trapped for their fur.
Because of dwindling natural habitat,
foxes have adapted to living more closely with people. Foxes
in the wild normally do not kill more than they need to eat.
Foxes perform a valuable service to humans by controlling the
small-rodent (mice, gophers, moles, rats) population, so they
should be viewed by humans as an ally. Usually this benefit
far outweighs the occasional damage they may cause.
Gray foxes mate for life. Both parents
share the duties of hunting and caring for their young. Oftentimes
one of the parents will do the hunting while the other stays
near the den to protect their young from any potential danger.
The male will not den with the female and their young, but
he is always somewhere close by.
Gray foxes will try to find the
safest place they can to have their young -- natural rock and
tree cavities, sometimes under decks, sheds, and small outbuildings.
They will usually return to the same den site each year.
Gray foxes with families are only
temporary visitors. Once the young are weaned (about 3 months),
the parents will relocate their family.
Gray foxes can sometimes be nuisances.
Young Gray foxes, just out on their own for the first time,
enjoy digging in flowerbeds, marking their new found territories
and playing together in your backyard.
Tips
1. Do not feed the
fox. They can easily become dependent on human food sources.
2. Never leave pet
food outside.
3. Never discard edible
garbage where fox can get to it.
4. Secure garbage containers
and eliminate their odors. Use a small amount of ammonia or
cayenne pepper in the garbage to discourage scavenging.
5. Restrict use of
birdseed. Fox are attracted to it and to the birds and rodents
that use the feeder.
6. Foxes den only during
breeding season. Be patient and allow them to remain; the parents
and young will abandon the den by the time the young are three
months old. If you cannot wait that long, any kind of disturbance,
such as loud noises and human scent, will likely cause the
vixen to move to another den. Once she is aware of the danger,
allow her the opportunity to move her young without threat
of harm.
7. Make sure the henhouse
or other enclosure is well protected. Use heavy- gauge mesh
wire to cover up holes in the structures and keep out most
potential predators. Since foxes can climb over or dig under
fences, a completely closed-in structure is best.
8. Install small gauge
wire fencing around the perimeters of decks. Spray an ammonia/water
solution under the deck; strategically place mothballs around
the area.
9. Trapping is not
a good idea. Foxes mate for life, and it is almost a certainty
that only one of the mated pair will be caught. Foxes are also
territorial; if you trap successfully, other individuals will
move into the area.
10. Pick that fruit
as soon as it ripens.
11. Battery operated
flashing lights, tape recorded human noises, scattered moth
balls and ammonia-soaked rags strategically placed may deter
foxes from entering your yard.
12. Avoid using pesticides
and chemical fertilizers.
13. Do home repairs
in the fall. This will prevent nursing babies with vixen from
being trapped inside.
14. Clear brush piles
from your property.
15. Burying wire or
cement blocks around the bottom of a fence will discourage
digging.
If you do not mind
sharing your space with Gray foxes, enjoy observing them with
binoculars when they visit. Watch for movement along hedges,
fences, bushes lining streams, and other places where a fox
would feel comfortable with cover close by. Foxes living in
areas where hunting is forbidden tend to be less shy.
Information was
provided by the Fund for Animals and WildCare: Terwilliger
Nature Education & Wildlife Rehabilitation, San Rafael,
CA.
return
to Wildlife Facts |