The Tree Fox: Chaparral Biome

The Grey Fox, also known as the “Tree Fox” is just one of the animals that live in the Chaparral biome. The baby Grey Fox is called a kit or a pup. The Grey Fox is an animal closely related to the dog, because of their bushy tails. The back of the Grey Fox is a whitish grey color, while the muzzle is black and has a black stripe. The Grey Fox as an adult can weigh anywhere from seven to eleven pounds. They stand fifteen inches at the shoulder, and are twenty-one to thirty inches long. Their scientific name is Urocyon cinereoargenteus. The Grey Fox walks on its four legs. Those four legs are very swift and fast so that they are able to run on those four legs, also. It is very important to their survival that they can run on all four legs because
it helps them escape their predators. The Grey Fox is an omnivore, which means that it eats plants and animals.
The Grey Fox is a solitary hunter and eats a wide variety of foods. Some of those foods include small mammals such as mice, voles, and rabbits. However, they eat more plants than animals. Some of the plants include corn, apples, nuts, berries, and grass. In the summer and fall, grasshoppers and crickets are an important part of their diet. When the Grey Fox becomes full, or tired of eating, they will bury their food in a hole and return to it when they become hungry again. The Grey Fox can range anywhere from Ontario, Canada, throughout the central and southwestern parts of the U.S, Venezuela, and also Mexico. They can also be found in Florida; however they tend to be found more often in the north. They prefer the Chaparral biome because of the plants and also the temperature. Their den sites throughout the Chaparral are made up of rock formations, hollow logs, trees, burrows, and brush piles. Every living thing has adaptations that help them survive in their habitat. The Grey Fox has short legs designed for climbing. They also have strong, hooked claws that allow them to pull themselves up tree trunks and branches. Their thick tail keeps their feet and nose warm when they curl up and go to sleep. Also, the color of their fur helps hide them away from
predators. A fox breeds from February to March.
After about fifty to fifty-five days later, three to four pups, or kits, are born. Pups are dark brown and blind at birth, meaning they can not see anything. They tend to weigh about 3.5 ounces at birth. After about ten days of being born, they will finally open their eyes and start seeing the world. Tens weeks later, the mother stops nursing. During that time, the father will provide the family with food. The family will disperse in the fall. That means that they will spread out among different areas. The life expectancy of a Grey Fox is six to ten years in the wild, and fifteen years in captivity. The Grey Fox has many behaviors. They are solitary during the winter. That means that they stay to themselves. They are nocturnal animals, meaning they are active at night. The Grey Fox also has a loud, yapping bark to alert other foxes of predation. They do not migrate, however they do travel many miles during their lifetime. The Grey Fox may burrow in a den, but only when it is mating season, or when females are raising their young. When being hunted or chased, the Grey Fox will use its claws to climb trees. Also, to avoid being eaten, they will run and hide under brush piles. They hunt for their food during the night, and generally hunt by themselves. They have one main way of hunting. They will sneak up on their prey and
pounce. The Grey Fox has many enemies. A few of them include hawks, eagles, bobcats, dogs, mountain lions, and also coyotes. Humans may also kill them. A human will kill a fox through hunting and trapping. Farmers may kill the Grey Fox for eating their livestock. They are classified by most related to a dog because of its shape and locomotion. Their Phylum name is Chordata. Their class name is Mammalia. Their order name is Carnivora. Their genus name is Urocyon. Little is known about the historic population trends of the Grey Fox. However, the Grey Fox is a threatened species and is protected by Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. They also have a closed season under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and can not be hunted or trapped anywhere in the province. The Grey Fox is one of the greatest animals in the world. Citations:
• www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/urocyon_cinereoargenteus/
• www.nhptv.org/natureworks/grayfox.htm
• www.thewildclassroom.com
• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/grey_fox.htm
• http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/gray-fox/