{"id":4221,"date":"2014-10-29T10:08:41","date_gmt":"2014-10-29T14:08:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=4221"},"modified":"2019-05-08T16:08:01","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T20:08:01","slug":"fox-or-coyote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/fox-or-coyote\/","title":{"rendered":"Fox or Coyote? How to Tell Them Apart"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Most of us only ever catch fleeting&nbsp;glimpses of coyotes or foxes, and these brief encounters can leave us wondering what species we saw. Besides the domestic dog, our state hosts three members of the family Canidae, a word that comes from the Latin word for dog, \u201ccanis.\u201d Here\u2019s a primer on wild canines in the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n<h3>Red fox (V<em>ulpes vulpes<\/em>)<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4237\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4237\" class=\"wp-image-4237 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/1923ColleenBruso7025.jpg\" alt=\"(c) Colleen Bruso\" width=\"640\" height=\"471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/1923ColleenBruso7025.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/1923ColleenBruso7025-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/1923ColleenBruso7025-624x459.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4237\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(c) Colleen Bruso<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Of the three species, this is the one&nbsp;you\u2019re most likely to see. A highly adaptable animal, it\u2019s found across much of North America, Europe, and Asia, and survives well in built-up environments.<\/p>\n<p>To identify a&nbsp;red fox, look for these characteristics:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rusty red back and sides (though the coloration is variable and young pups are tan-colored)<\/li>\n<li>Black ears<\/li>\n<li>Black lower legs, as if it&#8217;s wearing dark stockings<\/li>\n<li>A long tail, often nearly as long as the body, with a white tip<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Gray fox (<em>Urocyon cinereoargenteus<\/em>)<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4236\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4236\" class=\"wp-image-4236 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/137LincolnClark3829.jpg\" alt=\"137LincolnClark3829\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/137LincolnClark3829.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/137LincolnClark3829-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/137LincolnClark3829-624x468.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4236\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(c) Lincoln Clark<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This amazing animal isn\u2019t just a grey-colored red fox\u2014it belongs to a different genus, or group in the animal family tree, and has some unusual traits. Like a cat, its nails are retractable, and it can climb trees and jump from branch to branch. It\u2019s more rarely encountered&nbsp;because it doesn\u2019t wander as much and tends to stick to its forest territory.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to tell you\u2019re looking at a gray fox:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Grizzly grey back (though reddish around the head and legs)<\/li>\n<li>No black \u201cstockings\u201d as in the red fox<\/li>\n<li>A black stripe that runs the length of the tail, and a black tail tip<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Coyote (<em>Canis latrans<\/em>)<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4239\" style=\"width: 649px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4239\" class=\"wp-image-4239 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/263kristendonovan7443-e1496234492309.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"639\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/263kristendonovan7443-e1496234492309.jpg 639w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/263kristendonovan7443-e1496234492309-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/263kristendonovan7443-e1496234492309-624x520.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4239\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(c) Kristen Donovan<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Adult coyotes are more than double the size of gray foxes, and coyotes in the eastern US tend to be bigger than those in the west. Evidence suggests that the coyote interbred with the eastern Canadian wolf as it spread into the northeast in the past century. The resulting animal is larger than the western coyote, and has some wolf-like characteristics, including smaller ears and longer&nbsp;legs.<\/p>\n<p>However, it&#8217;s&nbsp;still much smaller than the wolf, which was wiped out in Massachusetts by the early 19th century. The coyote is&nbsp;very adaptable and can be found in developed areas, but tends to be shy and elusive.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to identify a coyote:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Color varies greatly but is usually gray to cinnamon gray<\/li>\n<li>Heavy build<\/li>\n<li>Long legs<\/li>\n<li>A relatively short, dark-tipped tail that hangs down when it runs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.massaudubon.org\/learn\/nature-wildlife\/mammals\/coyotes\">Learn more<\/a> about coyotes on our Nature and Wildlife pages, and share your wild canine sightings with us here and on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MassAudubon\">Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most of us only ever catch fleeting&nbsp;glimpses of coyotes or foxes, and these brief encounters can leave us wondering what species we saw. Besides the domestic dog, our state hosts three members of the family Canidae, a word that comes from the Latin word for dog, \u201ccanis.\u201d Here\u2019s a primer on wild canines in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":4237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature-notes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/1923ColleenBruso7025.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-165","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13602,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-winter-foxes\/","url_meta":{"origin":4221,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Winter Foxes","author":"Ryan D.","date":"February 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"As the breeding season for foxes winds down (typically lasting from mid-January through February), females will be seeking dens in which to give birth and raise their young, called \"kits.\" Although both Gray and Red foxes (the two species found in Massachusetts) are nocturnal, it is common to see adults\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Take 5&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red Fox \u00a9 Tracy Myers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/02\/2942Tracy_Myers29093.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/02\/2942Tracy_Myers29093.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/02\/2942Tracy_Myers29093.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/02\/2942Tracy_Myers29093.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4141,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-fantastic-foxes\/","url_meta":{"origin":4221,"position":1},"title":"Take 5: Fantastic Foxes","author":"Rosemary","date":"October 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"There are two species of fox in Massachusetts, the red fox and the gray fox. Both are secretive and wily, yet they've been favorite subjects of our Photo Contest photographers. Here are some of our favorite shots. Our 2014 Photo Contest deadline has now passed, and the judges are hard\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Photo Contest&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Photo Contest","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/photo-contest-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/Nick-DiNatale-2013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/Nick-DiNatale-2013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/Nick-DiNatale-2013.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1154,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/birding-after-migration\/","url_meta":{"origin":4221,"position":2},"title":"Birding After Migration","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"November 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"We have turned the seasonal corner. The swallows are gone, the egrets have fled, and \u00a0shorebirds and warblers have pushed their way south. You may well ask, \u201cWhat do we do we look for now?\u201d In many ways, Massachusetts is perfectly suited for winter birding, thanks in part to our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nature Notes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/11\/purple-sandpiper_Richard-Johnson-and-Mass-Audubon.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17232,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/fall-birding-hotspots\/","url_meta":{"origin":4221,"position":3},"title":"Fall Birding Hotspots","author":"Kaylin D.","date":"October 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When the heat of summer fades in October, the crispness of fall is a signal to birders to get outdoors and search for fall migratory birds. Don\u2019t know where to start? Check out these birding hotspots at some of our Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries.\u00a0 Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield\u00a0 This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds &amp; Birding&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds &amp; Birding","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/birds-birding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/5444Scott_Creamer32352-750x500-840d013f-bd1f-473d-9e50-126d5e33b8c3-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/5444Scott_Creamer32352-750x500-840d013f-bd1f-473d-9e50-126d5e33b8c3-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/5444Scott_Creamer32352-750x500-840d013f-bd1f-473d-9e50-126d5e33b8c3-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/10\/5444Scott_Creamer32352-750x500-840d013f-bd1f-473d-9e50-126d5e33b8c3-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4406,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/odd-ducks\/","url_meta":{"origin":4221,"position":4},"title":"Odd Ducks","author":"Rosemary","date":"December 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Some of nature\u2019s most colorful waterfowl visit our lakes, rivers, and shores during the colder months. Here are five stylish ducks to watch out for. Northern shoveler Anas clypeata One glance at this duck\u2019s enormous spatula-shaped bill \u2014used for straining prey from the water\u2014and you\u2019ll see why people call it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nature Notes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Northern shoveler \u00a9 Kristin Foresto","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/11\/shoveler-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8319,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/siberias-forgotten-coast-a-trip-of-a-lifetime\/","url_meta":{"origin":4221,"position":5},"title":"Siberia&#8217;s Forgotten Coast: A Trip of a Lifetime","author":"Hillary T.","date":"October 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Siberia's eastern coastline is one of the most remote and least visited regions of the globe. Dominated by the volcanoes of Kamchatka in the south, the fjords of the former Koryak region, and the rich estuarine areas and tundra of Chukotka, this region is heavily regulated and virtually impossible for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/travel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/10\/%C2%A9-ETan-Kamchatka-Brown-Bear-640.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/10\/%C2%A9-ETan-Kamchatka-Brown-Bear-640.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/10\/%C2%A9-ETan-Kamchatka-Brown-Bear-640.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4221"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12701,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4221\/revisions\/12701"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}