The gray fox lives in the Americas, from the southern border of Canada down through Central America to South American. It has mostly gray fur with a white underbelly, black markings and a red tinge around the neck. This fox loves the forests and woodlands and is even known as the tree fox. It climbs trees skillfully and leaps from branch to branch almost like a cat. They can weigh up to 20 lbs (9 kg) but are more often about half that weight.

Mostly active at night scrounging around for small mammals and insects, the gray fox may also eat fruit and seeds in times of scarcity. Eating fruit makes them slightly more adaptable but not quite as adaptable as their cousin the red fox who is more able to live in North America as people have changed the landscape significantly in the last 500 years, limiting their preferred food sources. When available, the handsome fox prefers a tasty meal of rodent, rabbit and occasionally a bird.

For sleeping quarters the fox and looks for an old burrow, a fallen log with space inside or even a hole inside the living tree for a den. As the foxes are good climbers the sometimes have their dens in trees as high as 30 ft off the ground. In the den is usually found a breeding pair. When a mother gives birth the average number of cubs is four although there may be as many as 10. After four weeks the cubs are strong enough to take a few steps at life outside the den. After 3 months they begin to hunt.