Car 1, Fox 0

[kevinkinney]

OK. In the interest of full disclosure here's what Detroit does to Mother Nature. Gruesome picture at this link:

image deleted

This was a Gray Fox, or Urocyon cinereoargenteus. It's a slightly smaller and more wily cousin of the more common Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes. The Gray prefers more tangled undergrowth, rugged terrain, and has a more aggressive manner with both prey and its own predators- coyotes. The fur is generally darker, as seen above, and lacks much of the silky texture you might think of when picturing a fox....So, if it looks like I'm having a bad hair-sporran day, then it's not my fault.

Gray fox are one of the few canids left who actually climb trees. If we had a few more of these in our neighborhood, the utility companies might win their war against the cable-chewing gray squirrels. The other climbing canines I know are my sister's 3 Blue Heelers. They're just plain odd.

I'm sad for this poor animal, but promise to treat it with the reverence that it deserves.

No more gruesome images. I promise.

Kevin.

[canawler]

Gray fox are one of the few canids left who actually climb trees.

Interesting side note (at least to me):

I never knew any foxes could climb trees until visiting the fox glade at Brookgreen Gardens near Myrtle Beach, SC and seeing greys and reds lounging in some very high branches. The guide mentioned that normally, red foxes can not climb trees but these had learned the behavior from watching the grey foxes they were kept with. Unfortunately, my last visit there was the first with a camera and no foxes were resting in the trees that day.

[ohneplo]

" I never knew any foxes could climb trees until visiting the fox glade at Brookgreen Gardens near Myrtle Beach, SC and seeing greys and reds lounging in some very high branches. The guide mentioned that normally, red foxes can not climb trees but these had learned the behavior from watching the grey foxes they were kept with."

And if this behavior persists someday we'll have . . . . .



And that is going to make for some really tiny full mask sporrans.

Fair winds,

Capt Bruce