# Gray fox (*Urocyon cinereoargenteus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/gray-fox  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is a mammal in the family Canidae and order Carnivora, also called the Tree fox, Grey fox, Common gray fox, Fox of Carolina and Mainland gray fox. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial and nocturnal animal with an adult body mass of 3.8 kg, with reported values from 3.7 to 4.2 kg. The gray fox is an omnivore whose main foods are berry, bird, domestic rabbit, fruit, insect, mouse and tree squirrel. It has one litter per year of 3.9 young after a gestation of 61 days, and the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3.72 kg – 4.22 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 15.6 years – 16.2 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Main food | berry, bird, domestic rabbit, fruit, insect, mouse and 1 more |
| Habitat | human_modified |
| Gestation | 61.5 days – 63 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 3.8 – 3.9 |
| Age at maturity | 11.3 months – 12 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Canidae
- genus: Urocyon
- species: *Urocyon cinereoargenteus* (Schreber, 1775)

Synonyms: *Canis cinereoargenteus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the gray fox?

The gray fox is a mammal in the family Canidae, order Carnivora. It is medium-sized, terrestrial and nocturnal.

### How heavy is a gray fox?

An adult Gray fox weighs 3.8 kg, with reported values from 3.7 to 4.2 kg.

### What does the gray fox eat?

The gray fox is an omnivore. Its main foods are berry, bird, domestic rabbit, fruit, insect, mouse and tree squirrel.

### Is the gray fox endangered?

No. The IUCN lists the gray fox as Least Concern (LC), which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a gray fox live?

The gray fox has a lifespan of 15.6 years, with values up to 16.2 years reported.

### How many young does a gray fox have?

A gray fox has 3.9 young per litter and 1 litter per year, after a gestation of 61 days (up to 63 days).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/gray-fox