Sly as a fox, the fox in the henhouse, crazy as a fox, and dumb as a fox are a few of the clichés concerning one of our familiar carnivores. Two species of fox occur in Indiana, the gray (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) . The red fox, also native to the area, is more abundant than the gray but owes much of its territorial expansion to man. It was brought over from England in the 1700’s to satisfy a need for hunting on the east coast. The gray fox it seemed would not oblige hunters by running away when chased, it simply went into a burrow or up a tree. The red fox was also relocated throughout the United States in support of the burgeoning fur industry.
The gray fox is nocturnal and crepuscular (meaning being active at dawn and dusk) which makes it very difficult to spot. It remains bedded down during most of the daylight hours. In all likelihood, if you see a fox it is of the more abundant red variety. I have seen more than one red fox in broad daylight around the developed area at Columbus Municipal Airport and have even had them in my backyard in the past.
Weighing between seven and fifteen pounds, the gray fox can reach between fourteen and fifteen inches in height. It reaches a length of up to 44” and its tail can be up to 17” long. It is grizzled gray above and reddish on the lower sides, chest, and back of the head. It is often confused with the red fox because of its reddish coloration. However, the red fox lacks the gray coloration, is entirely red with a white on the throat and chest and at the tip of its tail. The red fox is also slightly larger than the gray.
Mating between January and April, a litter of 3-4 kits is born between March and May. Birth occurs in a den which they either excavate themselves or establish in a natural cavity such as rock overhang, cave, or underneath a building or a rock pile. They seldom use the den throughout the rest of the year.
The gray eats a variety of foods of which the most important is the cottontail rabbit. It also feeds on small mammals such as mice and voles, birds, and insects. Grasshoppers and crickets are an important fall staple. Plant food includes corn, persimmons, pokeweed fruit, nuts, berries, and grass. It will cache larger amounts of food covering it with heaped up dirt, moss, or turf.
Man has long been the most significant enemy of the gray fox. Often declaring all-out war, they are shot, trapped, poisoned, and run over. Absent man, it has no real enemies. The bobcat, where abundant, may kill some and domestic dogs may take a few. Yet this important predator remains because it truly is sly as a fox.
Source: Mammals of Indiana, Whitaker 1996
Gray Fox (Missouri Department of Conservation)
Red Fox (Ohio Department of Natural Resources)