The Gray Fox
One of the smaller critters on Palomar Mountain is the gray fox. These little guys are out and about after dark. They eat voles, shrews, mice and birds as well as whatever fruits and scraps they may find.
The Gray Fox has a strong neck and a black-tipped tail. He measures about 3 feet in length, and his tail accounts for half of that. He weighs between 7 and 15 pounds.
The Gray Fox is able to climb trees. His strong, hooked claws allow him to scramble up trees and to escape predators such as the Domestic Dog, Coyote, or to reach tree-bound arboreal food sources. The Gray Fox descends primarily by jumping from branch to branch, or by backing down slowly like a house cat would. The Gray Fox makes his den in hollow trees, stumps or appropriated burrows, and resides there during the day.
Scientific classification: Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Carnivora, Family: Canidae,
Genus: Urocyon
These little guys can sometimes be seen scampering about in camp late in the evening (like after pie cafe or camp fire). They will stop and look at you and then run away into the forest. Watch for the gray fox next time you are at Palomar.