Animal Tracks - Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Gray Fox Tracks

Front Track Size	Hind Track Size
1 7/16 - 2 in. L x 1 3/16 - 1.75 in. W	1.25 - 1.75 in. L x 1 1 7/16 in. W

Natural History of Gray Foxes
Gray fox tracks show four toes and claws. Sometimes, the semi-retractable claws do not show. Their tracks average less than two inches in length. Tracks commonly run in straight lines, one print in front of the other. Front and hind prints overlap each other and appear as one print. Only foxes and members of the cat family walk in this manner. In fine mud, the hair on the foot may be visible in the track. Gray foxes are primarily nocturnal and hunt small mammals. Sometimes, they hunt by day. They are the only canines that can climb trees. They seek refuge in trees and also climb to find food. The bark of the gray fox sounds like a hoarse cough. If you startle a fox, it may bark at you. Foxes are omnivorous. They eat small mammals, birds, insects, eggs, fruit, nuts, grains, and even human garbage. Rabbits are a preferred prey animal. In campgrounds, you might see them at night, picking through fire rings in search of morsels from campers' meals. They are frequently seen crossing roads at night. In towns, they often eat pet food. Foxes den in rock piles or hollow logs. About five young are born in spring. Both parents care for the young and teach them how to hunt.	Sly the Fox

	A very nice gray fox track that shows imprints of the fur. These animals have fur on the bottoms of their feet and it shows in their tracks.

A nice pair of overlapping gray fox tracks. The hind track is the lower right and the front track is upper left. The hind track didn't leave much of an imprint, but the upper left toe did land on top of the front track.

	A perfect gray fox hind track. Very nice details are visible in this print, including fur imprints.

Another nice gray fox track. Good wet sand or mud is great for tracking!

	A set of gray fox tracks. The direction of travel is away from the viewer.

Another furry track in mud.

	Beautiful set of gray fox tracks. Front and hind are easy to make out in this photo.

A perfect set of gray fox tracks in mud. The details of fur on the feet can be seen here.


A nice gray fox walking gait through damp sand. The direction of travel is to the left.


A gray fox trail pattern near a river. The direction of travel is to the right. The individual tracks from front and hind feet overlap slightly. If they registered on top of each other, it would be called direct register. Foxes will direct register sometimes.


A gray fox scat composed of berries and seeds.


A perfect gray fox front track found along the Eel River. This track shows all the details that make it a canine print. The large area of negative space is characteristic of fox tracks. The sharp claws of the fox make fine marks ahead of the toes.


Cast of the perfect fox track above. This track was cast in a material called Rockite. This is a material I was experimenting with as a casting material. It is used to patch concrete, but worked well for making track casts. It did take a while to dry though.


Nice front track of a gray fox in muddy sand near the river. Notice the tiny claw marks ahead of the toes. The claws of foxes are semi-retractable and don't wear down as dull as those of dogs do. Gray foxes can use their claws to climb trees.


This overlapping pair of gray fox tracks shows the hind footprint on top of the front one. Hind tracks are smaller than the front ones.




This gray fox scat was deposited on the lid of a dumpster after food was thrown out in it. There were many fox tracks on top of the lid and even some brush marks from fur where the fox had climbed on top of the dumpster. The lids of the bin are heavy and designed to keep animals out (especially bears), so the fox was thwarted in its efforts to get food. However, the smells coming from inside were enough to make the fox very curious. It tried hard to get inside too.


This gray fox scat was deposited on a deck. Campers had used the cabin during the weekend and the fox marked on the deck afterward. Apparently, it was some sort of way to mark its territory. Foxes often deposit their scats on top of prominent objects like boulders, steps, decks, rocks, and anything else that sticks up above the ground.



Typical gray fox trail across a coastal sand dune. Each imprint is actually an overlapping pair of hind track on top of front track.


This beautiful gray fox track in sand shows a feature you don't often see - the carpal pad! This is the small pad located above the dewclaw (toe #1) on the animal's front feet. There are five toes, plus the carpal pad. When the animal is moving fast, as in a run, this pad will occasionally leave a mark. This pad is located on the outside of the "arm," so that makes this the right front foot!


A beautiful pair of gray fox tracks in deep mud that has frozen over.



A nice collection of gray fox tracks in deep mud next to a river


Gray fox tracks at the top. The single track at the bottom is a brush rabbit's track. (Type of cottontail rabbit) The top track is the fox's front track and the middle one is the fox's hind track.


A gray fox dug into the sand to find something to eat here. You can see the fox tracks all around the dirt mound, which identifies which animal did the digging here.

To see more gray fox signs, see the Gray Fox Scat page.
To see more gray fox photos, see the Trail Camera Animal Photos page
Video showing gray fox depositing scat as a scent marking behavior

Great series of photos of a gray fox climbing a tree. These photos were donated by J. Muse. Thanks! The object the fox is trying to get is a cone filled with peanut butter. It is used to feed the squirrels, but the fox decided it would make a nice snack. Gray foxes are the only canines that can climb trees.

	The front track shown on left has a lot of space between the heel pad and the toes. You can tell it is a front track because the heel pad is more robust than that of the hind track. (See pair of tracks below.) Front tracks are larger than the hind ones.

Gray fox trail in alluvial river silt. This photo was taken in summer, when the details of the tracks are easily lost as the winds pick up over the course of a day. These tracks were found in the morning. By afternoon, only the rounded dots were left to indicate a fox had passed here.

	The gray fox was walking along and paused to sit down and scratch. The actions are easily visible in this print. The fine hairs from the tail left marks behind where the fox sat. The fox's entire body left this track. The two prints in the upper right of the photo are the fox's approach trail. This type of soil is excellent for finding such detail. It is fragile and wind easily carries away these tracks. Getting out early in the morning increases your chances of finding complete stories like this one.

The photo on the right shows a fox-eye view of a fox trail along the river bar. Note how the prints overlap. Each print is actually a hind print on top of a front one.

	The front track is on the right and the hind track is on the left in this photo. Front track is larger. The hind track appears skinnier. The claw marks are far ahead of the toes, indicating fairly long claws. The gray fox is the only canine that can climb trees. Perhaps these long claws help it climb.

The hind track of a gray fox cast in plaster of Paris. This cast is from a mold and shows details that rarely show in casts made in the field.

	Gray fox track in mud along the south fork of the Eel River near Redway, California. The tiny tracks in the upper right of the photo are mouse tracks. Note the hair visible in the fox track. This photo was taken December 20, 2000.


Front and hind gray fox tracks in mud at the edge of a river. These tracks show incredible detail, but lack most of the claw marks. Gray fox claws are semi-retractable and don't always show in tracks. These two tracks are from the same animal.


This scat was deposited by a gray fox during the night. The track was still intact and hadn't blown away in the wind yet. Afternoon winds often destroy tracks in coastal dune environments like this one.
	Gray fox scat on a riverside rock. One scat contains grass. The others have fur from prey.


Gray fox scat on a rock.


A close-up of a gray fox latrine. This location is used over and over again. There are scats here of various ages and various diets. Bones and fur from prey are visible in most. The one on the left contains seeds and plant matter.
	This is the same latrine as above, but a distant view showing the location. This was the biggest, tallest rock in the area. Foxes use prominent objects for their latrines as a communication with other foxes.


This gray fox scat, and a few others, were located on a bridge leading into a campground. This bridge is the only access to the campground and many animals cross it nightly to forage in the campground for scraps of food dropped by campers.


Latrine used by gray fox and raccoon. Gray fox scat on left and above and below raccoon's. This is located near a good food source - a dumpster behind a school.
	Gray fox scat found on a bridge at Benbow Lake State Recreation Area campground.
Gray fox scat found on a bridge at Benbow Lake State Recreation Area campground. Foxes often deposit scats near good food sources. Campgrounds, with their large numbers of people and lots of food, certainly qualify.

	Trail of a gray fox. The relatively straight lines of fox trails distinguish them from those of domestic dogs. Foxes live out in this environment all the time and waste less energy on running around sniffing at everything. Domestic dogs get outdoors and become excited by all the new sights and smells in the new environment. Thus, their trails wind around a lot more than those of wild canines.


A set of gray fox tracks, showing all four prints. The two on the left are the hind tracks, which are smaller than the front ones. The two in the right are the front feet. The direction of travel is from right to left. The fox was moving fast and the hind feet landed ahead of the front ones in this particular gait.

	A pair of gray fox tracks. Direction of travel is to the right. The hind track is on top of and overlapping the front print in this photo.


A gray fox trail after a rain. The tracks are in a nearly straight line, which is characteristic of fox trails.


Gray fox tracks, showing detail of fur on the bottoms of the feet, claw marks and canine foot shape.

Gray fox tracks, showing detail of fur on the bottoms of the feet, claw marks and canine foot shape.
	A gray fox sat down in the sand for a quick scratch behind the ear. Notice the mark of its bushy tail to the left of the tracks. It departed to the lower right.


Pair of gray fox tracks, hind track on top of front one. Lots of fur on the bottom of the feet.
	Grass that was eaten by a gray fox, then coughed up. Similar to domestic cats that eat grass to aid their digestion, wild foxes do the same.


The tracks of many animals, including a gray fox, raccoon, and opossum. Mud flats like this are great places to find those rare perfect tracks.


Another example of the many tracks you can find on a river's edge. The gray fox traveled from right to left. The killdeer and spotted sandpiper meandered all over the place. The raccoon moved from the lower part of the photo toward the top.


A gray fox skull from a private collection.


Canine vs. Feline tracks (Is it a cat or a dog?)


Personal Notes on Gray Foxes
I have encountered numerous foxes while out hiking around dusk. They will usually bark their hoarse bark in surprise, then scamper off a short distance. Once they feel safe, they turn around and continue to bark at you to let you know their displeasure. It’s always interesting to watch them move. They remind me of cats because they are so quiet and flexible.

Gray Fox Photo Gallery
	This fox was hunting along the edge of a mowed field.
Foxes, like many other animals, will eat grass to aid their digestion.
	This fox was sitting on a roadside outside a dining hall. The fox waited until the people had cleared out, then came closer to search for scraps.
Same fox, sniffing for food.
	The fox patiently waited on the road, not bothered at all by the presence of people.
This fox, encountered during the daytime, was a little more shy about being around humans.

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