Last month when I wrote about red fox kits in Calgary, Tana left a comment that she had gray fox kits in her suburban backyard north of Pittsburgh!  Her discovery is especially cool because gray foxes are said to be less tolerant of civilization than red ones.

Filming from her upstairs window, Tana captured the gray fox family on video on June 21.  The screenshot above shows only four but click on it to watch the entire 16 minutes and you’ll see seven!  Don’t forget to read her description below the video for the background story.

Meanwhile here are some cool facts about gray foxes:

• Unlike the red fox, the gray fox is an expert at climbing trees.  It easily shinnies up trees and nimbly jumps from branch to branch.
• Gray foxes eat the same foods as red foxes but make their home in deciduous forests with rocky, brushy terrain while the red fox prefers old fields and rolling farmland.
• Gray foxes are monogamous and pair for life.  Both parents raise the family of 4-6 kits during the spring and summer.  (Seven is a big litter!)
• The family group stays together until the juveniles disperse in late fall. The youngsters may later make their home as much as 52 miles away from their birthplace.
• Predators of the gray fox include humans (people hunt them), great horned owls, domestic dogs and sometimes coyotes. Unfortunately vehicles kill them, too.

Tana was lucky to see the kits.  Within days their parents taught them to conceal themselves as they move about.  She only gets an occasional glimpse at dusk or hears a parent make a warning bark.

What a privilege to see them.  So cute!

(screenshot from video by Tana on YouTube)