Home To The Gray Fox… It’s Official

Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are known to be quiet, stealthy creatures… but we were starting to wonder if any gray fox lived in the Escondido Creek watershed. The occasional trail tails, unidentifiable scat, and peculiar paw prints kept us hopeful that they were in the area. Earlier this month, it seems like the heat got the best of this cat-sized creature, as one walked right by our wildlife camera. The photo doesn’t show its rusty, red front, but it did catch its speckled black and gray coat, and long bushy tail.

While these animals have a wide distribution across North America and aren’t particularly rare or threatened, we’re very excited to confirm the Escondido Creek watershed as their home. For one, they’re the only canine species in North America that can climb trees. Some have been observed to have dens up to 30 feet off the ground. Having them utilizing our Preserve also means added biodiversity… and rodent-reducing ecosystem services. The wider the array of species we have on our land, the better.

As we continue to protect contiguous lands as part of our Missing Lynx campaign, we are constantly inspired by all the wildlife that crosses through our Preserves and hope to keep these ecosystems healthy and abundant for years to come.