New Mexico's foxes

New Mexico’s wild foxes are wonderful to watch whenever you have the chance. Two species in New Mexico are the gray fox and the red fox, both members of the Canidae (Dog) Family. Each is about the size of a medium-sized dog, but coloration is very different. The gray fox’s coat is grizzled gray with a black stripe down the topside of the tail and a black tip (see photo below, photo by Gary M. Stolz/USFWS.) The red fox’s four black socks and white tip tail are immediate identifying marks. The red fox is known for its cunning and craftiness and almost playfulness, while the gray fox is more reclusive around humans. This short video shows two red foxes playing on a trampoline, (video by Samron.)

Unlike other dog species in North America, foxes will climb trees to get away from predators or to reach whatever they’re hunting, including bird nests and berries. They’ve also been observed climbing to a perch and then ambushing passing prey below.

An abundance of cottontails will attract foxes, as this is a favorite food. They also feed on mice and voles. But foxes are omnivorous and opportunistic, feasting on what is available in each season, including fruit, corn, berries, grass and even insects.

Both fox species will den up in ledges, rock outcroppings or hollow logs, and they will burrow underground, usually taking over another animal’s small hollow and enlarging it.

Healthy foxes pose no danger to humans, but they will hunt smaller domestic dogs and cats that wander away from people. And we’ve all heard the expression “like a fox in the henhouse,” reflecting their affinity for chicken. Foxes can carry distemper and even rabies. According to an article in The Southwestern Naturalist, foxes in New Mexico carry fleas that can carry plague, so if you’re in the lower elevations, you don’t want your domestic dog hanging out at the fox’s den.

If a fox does wander into your yard area and you’re concerned, scare them away with loud noise such as an air horn to keep them from becoming habituated to your territory.

Foxes are spotted in remote places like Sugarite Canyon State Park, and semi-urban places like Elena Gallegos Picnic Area in north Albuquerque. Red foxes are mostly found in New Mexico’s northern counties while grays cover the state. Wherever there are cottontails, a fox is probably nearby.