Tennessee is home to two species of fox, the red fox and the grey fox. Despite their names, color isn’t the best way to tell these beautiful animals apart! An animal can be a member of the red fox species but have nearly any color fur, including silver, white, yellow, brown, and even lavender! ThisContinue reading “How to Tell Red Foxes Apart from Grey Foxes”
Tag Archives: fur
The Rare Blue Bobcat
Blue bobcats are also called “Maltese,” a term popularized among cat breeders for blue-grey cats. As with house cats, blue bobcats happen when a bobcat is born with two copies of a gene that causes melanism (black coloration) and also two copies of the dilution gene, which lightens the animal’s fur. Both of these genesContinue reading “The Rare Blue Bobcat”
“Coats for Cubs” Gives Fur Back to Animals
In 2019, For Fox Sake will be participating in the Coats for Cubs program organized by Buffalo Exchange! There’s no way to give fur back to the animal that was born wearing it, but this program is certainly a step in the right direction. When orphaned animals arrive at rehabilitation facilities, they’re often very scaredContinue reading ““Coats for Cubs” Gives Fur Back to Animals”
Do Coyfoxes Exist?
I’ve gotten a number of calls, comments, and texts from people who believed they had found a coyfox, a hybrid between a coyote and a red fox. It’s an understandable mistake to make. Many people, especially here in the Southeastern U.S., might encounter an animal that looks too big to be a fox but hasContinue reading “Do Coyfoxes Exist?”
Tennessee’s Endangered Eastern Spotted Skunk
The Eastern spotted skunk, native to our region, has lost up to 99% of its population in the last seventy years. It is likely completely extinct through most of its natural range— including the region of Tennessee where For Fox Sake operates— and it could be completely extinct in the wild within a decade. AndContinue reading “Tennessee’s Endangered Eastern Spotted Skunk”
Why Do Fox Squirrels and Grey Foxes Have the Same Markings?
These two native species, the Eastern grey fox and the Eastern fox squirrel, have nearly identical markings. Both developed these patterns to adapt to the same environmental pressures. The light or white markings on their undersides, called countershading, help both animals camouflage when seen from the side, while he pattern of grey and red helpsContinue reading “Why Do Fox Squirrels and Grey Foxes Have the Same Markings?”
Melanistic (Black) Deer
This gorgeous buck was born with a mutation that causes melanism. Animals with this trait are extremely dark in color and lack all the characteristic shades of white and brown typically seem in white-tailed deer. Black deer can be seen in any part of the country, but, for reasons not fully understood by scientists, theyContinue reading “Melanistic (Black) Deer”
Fishers Return to Tennessee
This handsome member of the weasel family, called a fisher or fisher-cat, was driven to statewide extinction by over-trapping. In 2002, conservationists selected a remote, forested area in middle Tennessee to re-introduce this animal to its native habitat. No one knows how successful they have been. Tennessee’s fishers lived on a diet rich in snowshoeContinue reading “Fishers Return to Tennessee”
Red Raccoons?
This raccoon’s beautiful coat is caused by erythrism, a genetic condition that causes reddish pigmentation of the fur and skin. Erythrism in raccoons usually runs in families. It isn’t harmful and, other than making them more likely targets for fur trappers, erythrism doesn’t affect a raccoon’s life expectancy.
Grey Foxes on the Decline
Three hundred years ago, grey foxes were much more common throughout the U.S. than wolves, coyotes, or red foxes. That’s because we had more old-growth forests and these beautiful animals thrive in areas with large, knobby trees with hollow openings, which are their preferred dens. They also use trees for climbing and hunting. That’s right:Continue reading “Grey Foxes on the Decline”
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 