Gray foxes are common to most of the US, Mexico and Central America. The
fur is gray in color with the underside being a light, rusty brown appearance.
The have a black stripe running down the length of the back and tail. The
tip of the tail is black. They are the most common fox found in the southern
US. They have also been called the tree fox as it can climbs trees. To the
untrained eye the gray fox is similar in appearance to the kit fox .
NOTE: The kit fox is not hunted in California and is included here only as
a warning to the hunter. Their appearance is similar to the gray fox and
to the untrained eye the two can be easily confused.
The kit fox is common to the deserts of western America and considered a protected species in California. They weigh up to six lbs and have a black tip on their tail. They have grayish colored fur with a white chin and a light brown colored transition between the back and underside. They are similar in size and appearance to the gray fox but lack the black stripe down the back. Their behavior is also markedly different from that of the gray fox. Interestingly, the desert kit fox isn’t really endangered but a sub-species known as the San Joaquin Valley kit fox is.