Photo of the Week: Gray Fox at Echo Hill
Gray Fox at Echo Hill. Photo: Darya Zelentsova
View more photos from Darya Zelentsova here: darzel.pixels.com, or on instagram instagram.com/darzel_photography/.
Our feature, Photo of the Week, presents each week, a new picture by a local photographer. We invite local photographers to share their photographs here. Please include a description/caption and an indication of who is to be credited.
Gray foxes have a wide distribution (southern Canada to Venezuela) and are sometimes referred to as “tree foxes” or “cat foxes”.
The New York State Department of Conservation notes the following about gray foxes: ” gray foxes are the only North American canid that regularly climbs trees. These foxes have curved, semi-retractable claws and rotating wrists that allow them to readily grip and climb. When climbing a tree, gray foxes use their hind legs to move up the trunk, gripping the tree with their front paws. Once off the ground, they will travel by jumping from branch to branch. This unique ability allows them to escape from predators, and it also provides unique foraging opportunities. Gray foxes have even been observed denning in trees!”