Gray Fox

Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are quite small and typically weigh between 7-10 pounds. As their name suggests, they are gray in color but they do have a reddish tinge on their sides and back. For this reason, they are often mistaken for a red fox. Rest assured, that if you see a fox on Kiawah it is a gray fox, as there are no red foxes here on the island. Gray foxes are very opportunistic feeders and will eat a variety of plants and animals; including rabbits, rodents, fruits, insects, berries, and acorns. They also take quite readily to climbing trees and are the only member of the dog family capable of doing so.

Late winter is the breeding season for foxes so most observations this time of year will be of a male and female fox together. Gray foxes are monogamous and both the male and female will help with the rearing of the pups. Fox dens are typically located in hollow logs or stumps. The pups will stay with the family unit until the following fall when they will disperse to set up their own territory.

Gray fox populations here on the island are monitored using a technique called a scent station survey. Many residents may have noticed circular areas sprinkled with a white powder that seemingly popped up overnight along roads throughout the island. These circles are the backbone of a scent station survey. The survey consists of setting up approximately 120 of these circles in all parts of the island. Each circle is raked clear of debris and sprinkled with a coating of powdered lime to serve as a tracking medium. A scented tablet is placed into the center of the circle to attract passing furbearers. Surveys are conducted for 2 consecutive nights, which consists of checking each station and recording the types of tracks seen. Once all of the data has been collected it is possible to calculate an abundance index for each furbearer species on the island. This includes bobcats, gray foxes, raccoons, and opossums.

The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) population on Kiawah Island declined dramatically following the widespread canine distemper outbreak in 1996-1997. Sightings of these shy, elusive animals dwindled to almost zero in the years that followed the outbreak. Recent surveys and observations indicated that gray fox numbers rebounded substantially in the four years following the outbreak.  Another large-scale distemper outbreak occurred during the winter of 2007-2008.  This will likely result in a decrease in fox numbers over the next few years.