The Gray Fox is the only member of the dog family that can climb trees; they do this to seek safety or when they hunt birds. They can reach a speed of 28 mph for short distances. In captivity they have lived for up to 10 years but the life span in the wild would probably be much less.

They like wooded areas and rocky ridges in canyons and open desert.

The Gray Fox is much smaller than the Coyote - about 32 - 45 inches long and weighs 7 - 11 pounds. Their colour is grizzled gray on top and white throat extending to underneath; rusty red along the sides. The tail usually has a black mane along the top with a dark gray or black tip. The Gray Fox has an elongated muzzle and forward pointing ears.

Primarily, the Gray Fox is nocturnal but sometimes can be seen foraging during the day. They eat small mammals but being omnivore, they will eat eggs, insects, birds fruit, berries and even acorns.

The Vixen will sometimes use a hollow tree for her den or she will dig into the earth or she will utilise the burrow of another animal by making it bigger as needed. The den could be as big as 75 feet long and can have many exits. The den will have chambers for storing food and for depositing the young when one area gets soiled.

The Gray Fox mates in February or March and has their young in April or May. The pups are dark brown in color and they are blind at birth and remain that way for approximately 10 days. The young will be going out of the den at about 5 weeks and they are weaned by about 10 weeks. The father provides food during this period much like the male coyote does for his young. The family split in late fall. All foxes generally remain solitary throughout the winter.