| Urocyon[2] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gray andisland fox | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Subfamily: | Caninae |
| Tribe: | Urocyonini |
| Genus: | Urocyon Baird, 1857[3] |
| Type species | |
| Canis virginianus[5] | |
| Species | |
| |
Urocyon (Greek: "tailed dog"[7]) is agenus ofCanidae which includes thegray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and theisland fox (Urocyon littoralis).[2] These two fox species are found in the Western Hemisphere.Whole genome sequencing indicates thatUrocyon is the mostbasal genus of the living canids.[8] Fossils of what is believed to be the ancestor of the gray fox,Urocyon progressus, have been found in Kansas and date to the UpperPliocene,[9] with some undescribed specimens dating even older.[10]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray fox
| Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775) | Southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America (Venezuela and Colombia), excluding the mountains of northwestern United States | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Island fox
| Urocyon littoralis (Baird, 1857) Six subspecies
| Channel Islands (off the coast of Southern California) | Size: Habitat: Diet: | NT |
| Species name | Type specimen era and location[4] |
|---|---|
| U. citrinus | Tedfordet al., 2009. EarlyIrvingtonian, Citrus County,Florida. |
| U. galushai | Tedfordet al., 2009. LateBlancan, San Simon Valley, Graham County, Arizona. |
| U. minicephalus | Martin, 1974. Late Irvingtonian, Sumter County, Florida. |
| U. progressus | Stevens, 1965. Early Blancan, Meade County, Kansas. A later review found that the material representsUrocyon, but because of its fragmentary nature cannot be diagnosed as to species.[4] |
| U. webbi | Tedfordet al., 2009. MiddleHemphillian, Citrus County, Florida. |
The Cozumel fox is a critically endangered small gray fox found on the island ofCozumel,Mexico. The last reported sighting was in 2001, but surveys focusing on this species have not yet been carried out.[11] In September 2023, a live Cozumel fox was rescued from a road and subsequently released.[12][13]
The Cozumel fox has not been scientifically described, but is adwarf form, like the island fox. Compared to the island fox, however, it is slightly larger, being up to three-quarters the size of the gray fox. No skins or complete skulls of the Cozumel fox exist in any museum exhibitions, so scientists have mainly examined sub-fossils collected during archaeological excavations ofMayan civilizations who inhabited the island about 1,500–500 years ago. Upon evaluating bones from about 12 adult individuals, scientists have concluded that the Cozumel fox is extremely small – approximately 60-80% the body size of other mainland specimens.[14]
The fox had been isolated on Cozumel for at least 5,000 years, and probably far longer. These dates would indicate thatUrocyon had colonized the island before the first arrival of humans there.[14]
| National | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
.jpg)
_FWS_001.jpg)
.png)
_-_N._donnezani.png)
_-_V._praeglacialis.png)
.jpg)
_-_C._a._europaeus.png)
_-_C._mosbachensis.png)
_-_C._l._spelaeus.png)
