The gray fox (Urocyon
cinereoargenteus) is uncommon in Oregon, ranging in the area west of the
cascades and north, near the Columbia river. An adult grows 21- to 30-inches
long and weighs between 7 and 13 pounds. The coat is a grizzled gray with dark-tipped
hairs over the back and down the tail and white hair under the face to the breast
and the abdomen.
The gray fox is an omnivore, hunting at twilight or at night for rodents, small birds, berries, and vegetation. It will live in a burrow, rocky crevice, or hollow log.
The gray fox can
climb trees, the only arboreal canine species to do this. Like a cat, this fox
grasps a surface with its front claws and pushes itself upwards with the hind
legs.
Copyright © 1999 Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation Center