Gray foxes are the only canids (members of the same family as dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals etc) who commonly climb trees. And wow, can they climb!!
These 4- or 5-month old gray fox pups got to playing one sunny afternoon in the backyard and for about 30 minutes they raced up and down the cedars, purely for the joy of it. Nothing more to say here, really. Enjoy the video!
13 Comments
What a special joy you bring to all who are privileged to see this website and the video & photo documentaries that you’ve capture. Thank you for sharing so generously. I can’t wait to share this with my students! Stay well and be blessed.
Thank you so much! We love sharing what we see and we’re delighted that you think your students will enjoy the videos, too.
I live in Burnet, TX. My daughter-in-law shared with me your KXAN article. I have two foxes that live near us and that I see regularly. Plus opossums, raccoons, armadillo & turkeys are regulars. A few other animals are seen occasionally. You’ve inspired me to see what I can capture on a wildlife camera. Your videos and pictures are amazing and your website is so well done. Great job bringing awareness to our critter neighbors!
Judy, thank you! We’re glad you’re enjoying it all. If you want to know about how we set up the cameras, we have an info link in the website footer. We’re also happy to advise or answer any questions.
I’m so glad ya’ll are helping Texans and others to see how special the animals are here in Central Texas!! I fell totally in love with the gray foxes in my area and have watched 4 generations come and go on our property. We have 4 gray fox mamas right now, a 5th generation. They usually bring their kits out around end of May or in June. I’m sad to say this may be the last year we’ll have our beautiful foxes as the property on one side of us has sold and will be built on where they’ve been denning. But I will enjoy them as long as I can. I have so many pictures of them, but your videos are just Awesome! We also have all kinds of critters here too which are fun to watch – numerous birds, big owls😳, possums, armadillos, skunks, raccoons, deer, etc. The only thing I haven’t seen yet is a UFO 😆 and let’s hope they stay in their own galaxy. 😊 Thank you so much!!! Highlighting our local animals will hopefully bring understanding to people to appreciate them as much as ya’ll and we do. God Bless!♥️
I forgot to add that, yes, I’ve watched the foxes here climb the cedar trees – was an amazing thing to watch! So glad you posted this video because most people don’t know that only the Gray Fox and the Fennec Foxes are the only ones to climb trees. 🙂 Thank you!
Great to hear from you, Robin. Thank you for getting in touch. It’s so nice to hear from someone who sees the same animals we do and understands our enthusiasm. We are very sad to hear that your foxes are about to be displaced by new development. That’s heart-breaking. What a loss! We need more foxes and fewer buildings (one of the foxes here told me to say that). I hope they all come and den with you, instead.
Take care!
Jane & Dan
Some one from wild life live Please rescue the Male Grey Fox From Loosing his legion the Den with his female and Kits. Texas. Please!!!
Hi Donna – I’m not sure I understand your message. Could you email us at texasbackyardwildlife@gmail.com? Thanks.
Thank you for sharing. So cool to see these guys having so much fun next door. Definitely didnt know foxes could climb trees.
Aren’t they fun to watch? They were having such a party.
This video was just shared on Reddit’s animal id forum—I absolutely cracked up watching the kits go nuts! Hope Robin A has an acre or so for her foxes to den on. My parents in Lorena TX only have 2 acres, one of which they declared a wildlife refuge area and planted thickly with native plants and big agave…a big high school borders the property on one side, houses all around, probably a quarter-mile to the nearest open fields. Gray foxes have lived there for the last 10 or 15 years. Vixen would come into the vegetable garden on the other portion of the property (30′ from the house) to hunt mice and shrews—Mom came face to face with her several times and received a lot of very annoyed yapping. They finally spotted the male after dawn one morning relaxing on the second story deck outside their bedroom where he could overlook the property properly (there are stairs on the outside of the house that he could use to get up and down.) The current litter is getting big enough to be curious and watch Dad working in his koi pond from the safety of some shrubbery.
Hi Kelly – Thank you so much for getting in touch. We love it that your parents have devoted half of their space to the wildlife and we hope the foxes stay with them forever! Gray foxes are such beautiful and interesting creatures. Most days, one or two of them will pass by mid to late afternoon on their way from there to here (or vice versa), and every evening they come and sit on the stumps around the firepit and watch us having a glass of wine on the deck. They may be angling for a glass of chardonnay.
We had 3 different mamas with litters in our dens this spring but we haven’t seen them for a while – we’re a little worried. We do have a papa fox though who is shepherding 2 kits around and showing them the ropes: “This is where the humans live. They seem fairly sane. This is where the water dishes are…”.