| Foxes |
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| Additional
Predator Species
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| Gray Fox |
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 Habitat |
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There are
three species of foxes in Arizona-the red
fox, kit fox, and gray fox. Of these, the
5 ½ to 9 pound gray fox with its rust, black,
and grizzled coloring and black longitudinally
striped tail is by far the most common, occurring
wherever there are mountains, wooded country,
and broken terrain. The yellowish and paler
red fox is of similar size (2-foot head and
body with a 12 to 16 inch tail) but is uncommon
in Arizona, occurring only in the northeast
portions of the state. It can be differentiated
from other foxes by its white-tipped tail
and black ears. The 15 to 20 inch long kit
fox (distribution below) has large, out-sized
ears, a 9 to12 inch tail, and weighs less
than 4 ½ pounds. This diminutive fox is pale
gray or buff in color, with a black-tipped
tail. It is most often seen at night in valleys
and on sandy plains in the southwestern deserts.
For all three species, the sexes are similar
in size and pelage.
Natural History
Gray foxes are the most often seen fox in that they are the most numerous
species and are often active during daylight hours. And, although they
favor brushy habitats, rock piles, and desert washes, they also climb trees
and can be found in wooded areas. Kit foxes, on the other hand, prefer
sandy areas, are almost exclusively nocturnal, and spend much of the day
underground.
Hunting and Trapping History
More than 95 percent of the foxes taken and trapped in Arizona are undoubtedly
the widely spread gray fox, the red fox occurring mostly on the Navajo
Indian Reservation. Although kit foxes are remarkably easy to trap, their
fur is of little value. Whatever the species, the annual take of about
3,500 foxes by predator callers and incidental hunters has been relatively
stable in recent years despite any population changes due to rabies and
other debilitating factors. Although the take by trappers once greatly
exceeded the total taken by hunters, the average number of foxes trapped
during the past 10 years was far less than the sport harvest. |
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