2 CIRCULAR 8, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



subspecies, and in the latter, 7. The general color of all these forms is 

 reddish yellow. In the true red foxes there are 3 distinct color phases. 

 The common one is red, another is black or silver, which is a black 

 with silver-tipped hairs, and the third is the cross, which is inter- 

 mediate between the red and the black, having a dark band down the 

 back and another across the shoulders forming a cross, which gives 

 the variety its name. These 3 color phases may occur in the sanie 

 litter. All the true red foxes have a large bushy tail, the tip of which 

 is usually white, and most of them have white throats. The males 

 are larger than the females, the range of weights of adult animals 

 being 8 to 14 pounds, the average 10 pounds. 



The red foxes avoid both heavily forested areas and brushless 

 plains, preferring fairly open country with moderate cover. Such 

 conditions prevail on farm lands, where these foxes are commonly 

 found. Foxes are most active at night, but may often be seen during 

 the day. Generally, they do not have a home range with a greater 

 radius than 5 miles, but some individuals may wander more exten- 

 sively. 



The kit and desert foxes are small animals (weighing 4 to 5y 2 

 pounds) and are not of much economic importance in the plains and 

 desert areas in which they live. 



Of the gray fox ( Urocyon) , 14 species and subspecies are recognized 

 in the United States and Canada. These foxes are slightly smaller 

 than those of the fulva group of red foxes and have shorter muzzles 

 and longer legs. In general, their color is grizzled gray above and 

 white to ashy gray below. 



The gray foxes are neither so cunning nor so bold as are the true 

 reds, but they have more of these qualities than do the kit foxes. 

 When chased by dogs, they scurry into burrows or other hiding places, 

 or sometimes climb into accessible trees, being much better climbers 

 than are the other kinds of foxes. 



The characteristics and habitats of the three groups of foxes 

 occurring in the United States are outlined in table 1. 



The distribution of the three groups of foxes is shown in figure 1. 

 It will be seen that the ranges of the groups overlap considerably, 

 but, in general, the gray foxes are found more abundantly in w T armer, 

 and the true red foxes in colder, regions. The kit and desert foxes 

 inhabit the dry or desert areas of the Plains and Southwestern States. 



Table 1. — Characteristics and habitats of the 3 groups of foxes occurring in the 



United States 



