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The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America.This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (Urocyon littoralis) of the California Channel Islands, are the only living members of the genus Urocyon, which is considered to be genetically sister to all other living canids.
Gray fox fur is a type of fur obtained from the gray fox, a species distinguished from most other canids by its grizzled gray upper parts. It also has reddish coloration on parts of its body, including the legs, sides, feet, chest, and back, as well as on the sides of the head and neck.
Fox species differ in fur color, length, and density. Coat colors range from pearly white to black-and-white to black flecked with white or grey on the underside. Fennec foxes (and other species of fox adapted to life in the desert, such as kit foxes), for example, have large ears and short fur to aid in keeping the body cool.
These two fox species are found in the Western Hemisphere. Whole genome sequencing indicates that Urocyon is the most basal genus of the living canids. [8] Fossils of what is believed to be the ancestor of the gray fox, Urocyon progressus, have been found in Kansas and date to the Upper Pliocene, [9] with some undescribed specimens dating even ...
Gray foxes, despite the name, are not considered “true foxes” due to their scientific classification as part of the Urocyon genus instead of the Vulpes genus (like the better-known red fox).
Characteristics of a Fox. Foxes have petite, acute snouts, and nimble bodies atop long, thin legs. ... Mello's take on the spiritual meaning of a gray fox is that it "represent[s] our need for ...
The South American gray fox is a largely solitary animal that has long been hunted for its pelt. The foxes sometimes go near human habitations in search of food, such as chickens and sheep, but tend to avoid areas visited by dogs. They are useful in their role as scavengers of carrion and as dispersers of the seeds of the fruit they eat. [6] [7]
South American foxes look like true foxes, despite being a unique canid genus more closely related to wolves and jackals. [60] Whales exhibit hyperphalangy—an increase in the number of phalanges beyond three phalanges-per-digit. Whales share this characteristic with extinct marine reptiles, but not present-day marine mammals. [61]