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1 September 2012 Observations of Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in a Suburban Landscape in the Piedmont of North Carolina
Joshua M. Kapfer, Ryan W. Kirk
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Abstract

Studies of Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Gray Fox) in suburban landscapes are rare. Past work has suggested that this species will only tolerate urbanization to a certain density of residences (50–125 residences/km2). To test this, we employed visual observations and camera traps to monitor Gray Fox activity within a suburban and adjacent rural property from January to July 2011. We also used a geographical information system (GIS) to calculate the density of buildings associated with both properties. We observed Gray Foxes and detected them with camera traps in our properties on numerous occasions. GIS analyses revealed an estimated suburban density of 237–347 residences/km2 (depending on spatial scale) and rural density of 50 residences/km2. The number of Gray Fox observations did not differ greatly between rural and suburban properties, although the peak periods of Gray Fox observations varied by site. We propose that a tolerance for high suburban building density exhibited by Gray Foxes at our site is related to the large amount of mature wooded buffers located adjacently.

Joshua M. Kapfer and Ryan W. Kirk "Observations of Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in a Suburban Landscape in the Piedmont of North Carolina," Southeastern Naturalist 11(3), 507-516, (1 September 2012). https://doi.org/10.1656/058.011.0313
Published: 1 September 2012
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