Its coat is mostly grizzled-gray with some reddish fringes throughout its body. Male foxes, (both red and gray) are called "dogs" and females are known as "vixens". The red fox is the largest of the captivity-suited foxes, weighing around 12 or 20 pounds, depending on whether the specimen is male or female. It is estimated that … Three types of foxes are known in the wild: the red, gray, and arctic foxes. Each fox type has similar characteristics for the overall species, but mating habits do differ. Gray foxes are common animals that can be found throughout Maryland and much of the eastern and southern United States. They are sometimes mistaken for red foxes, because they have some reddish fur, but gray foxes are noticeably shorter-legged and have a black-tipped tail, instead of a white-tipped tail. A fox's weight ranges from 8 to 15 pounds, depending on the fox type. The red has a more laid-back temperament and a stronger odor than other breeds. After an average gestation period of 53 days, the female fox gives birth to a litter averaging four or five pups. The gray fox weighs between 6 and 8 pounds and isn’t quite as high-strung as the fennec, nor as large and odoriferous as the red fox. Gray foxes are small, secretive canines, and the only member of that family that can climb trees. While the male fox lives and hunts alone much of the year, once cold weather arrives he's looking for a female, or vixen, to settle down with and raise babies. The exact breeding period for red foxes varies across the geographic range of the species: January-February in the central regions (including New Jersey), December-January in the south, and February-April in the north. In North America, winter is mating season for foxes, with kits arriving in the spring. Should other males try to come into contact with her they will battle. C-84 Identification The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the mostcommon of the foxes native to North America. The union's Red List of Threatened Species includes island gray foxes (near threatened), Sechuran foxes (near threatened) and Darwin’s fox (threatened). Few damage complaints have been This can result in one of the males dying in the process. It is hard for the younger males to find a partner out there due to the power and protection of the older males. During the mating season the male fox will do all he can to defend his partner. Additionally, a fox's length can span between 2 and 4 feet. Gestation takes about 52 days. Most depredation problems are associated with red foxes, although in some areas gray foxes (Urocyoncinereoargenteus) can cause problems. The gray fox is somewhat stout and has shorter legs than the red fox. Reproduction: Foxes breed from January through March with the gray fox tending to breed two to four weeks later than the red fox.