Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Silhouette: Brian Gratwicke (photo) and T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (Urocyon littoralis) of the California Channel Islands, are the only living members of the genus Urocyon, which is considered to be genetically sister to all other living canids. Its species name cinereoargenteus means "ashen silver".
It was once the most common fox in the eastern United States, and though still found there, human advancement and deforestation allowed the red fox to become the predominant fox-like canid. Despite this post-colonial competition, the gray fox has been able to thrive in urban and suburban environments, one of the best examples being southern Florida. The Pacific States and Great Lakes region still have the gray fox as their prevalent fox.
The genus Urocyon comes from Ancient Greek οὐρά (ourá, "tail") + κύων (kúōn, "dog"). The species epithet cinereoargenteus is a combination of 'cinereo' (from 'cinereus') meaning ashen, and 'argenteus' (from argentum), meaning 'silver', referencing the color of the tail. Wikipedia →
Call0:09
United States · 2018
© Chris Harrison · XC1046109 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Call0:13
United States · 2024
© Bobby Wilcox · XC972922 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:41
United States · 2025
© multicarinata · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 3 | Irazú Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 8 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 14 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 15 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 17 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 19 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 20 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Fox sighting in Santa Rosa National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 17 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and August–September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Fox in Santa Rosa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May, July and October–December, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gray Fox sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
16th of 21
Of the 21 parks where we can rate Gray Fox sightings, Santa Rosa National Park ranks 16th at about 10%. The best odds are in El Triunfo (Mexico, about 50%), Tikal National Park (Guatemala, about 50%) and Irazú Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gray Fox is recorded against all the mammals logged in Santa Rosa National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
