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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Gray Foxes - it's amazing what they can do. Siegfried Matull captured several interesting photographs.

I'm very pleased to have Siegfried Matull doing a guest blog today. He and his wife Gretel live on The Sea Ranch and delight in seeing and photographing nature.

"For many years my wife Gretel and I have been admiring and photographing Gray Foxes, which now show up year-round on our property. Our biggest surprise occurred when, for the first time, we saw a Gray Fox climb up into a tree.



"Gray Foxes are the only members of the fox species that can climb up, down and through trees. They have relatively short legs but they are very powerful. One time we watched a Gray Fox in a tree, slowly descending BACKWARDS down to the ground. We have watched several times how Cats also climb backwards down from trees in the same way the Gray Fox performed.

"On another occasion we were also tremendously surprised when a Gray fox was descending down a steep branch, supporting itself by holding on with its tail around the branch.

"Surprises never end in our beautiful Mendonoma Coastal area!"

A big thank you to Siegfried for his guest blog and beautiful photos.

4 comments:

Frank Drouillard said...

Coastal monkeys!

Jeanne Jackson said...

I've learned they can even climb the side of a building!

Bob Wallace said...

They easily climb fences and apple, peach and quince trees.

After which they carry away all my apples, peaches and quinces.

They will start to sample the fruit prior to it ripening. I'll find a green apple with sharp tooth marks on the ground every few days until they find the taste appealing and then the crop goes away in one night.

They climb the fence and eat tomatoes and strawberries in broad daylight.

New fence design to be tried for the next season.

Jeanne Jackson said...

Yes, Bob, they will eat your fruit. It is a challenge to keep some produce for ourselves. Chipmunks are currently making themselves free with my tomatoes.