The Example of Elusiveness
by Josh Palumbo,
Most animals have some innate desire to be elusive. Life amongst humans demands a certain level of wariness for all animals. Deer, squirrel, groundhogs, and many birds become quite accustom to our presence and can feel complete freedom as they wander amongst humans. Some species such as bobcat, turkey and spotted skunk tolerate only very minimal levels of human contact. One of the best examples of elusiveness at Wintergreen is the gray fox. This edition of the Nine Minute Naturalist will help shed light on this shy member of the Canidae family.
Most Virginians are familiar with red fox. They tend to be active through much of the daylight hours and habituate to humans quite easily. As an owner of a flock of chickens, red fox appreciate visiting my house quite often in search of a meal. Gray fox hold a very similar home range as red fox but are very rarely seen by humans. Due to their propensity to hunt at night and their desire to live in forested terrain, the suburban and city dwellers very rarely get lucky enough to spot gray fox.
Gray fox are so unique they are not considered true foxes. They are members of the genus Urocyon not the genus Vulpes which the red fox resides in. They are more closely related to another North American fox called the island fox than their Virginia cousin the red fox. This small fox species weighs less than 15lbs and has one unique adaption the red fox lacks, the ability to climb trees. They have sharp, partially retractable claws and rotating wrists that give better grip when climbing. This adaptation allows them to escape bigger predators such as coyotes and red fox. It also allows for a more diverse menu. Birds and bird eggs make up a healthy portion of their diet. This robust diet includes mice, voles, squirrels, rabbits, insects, and a variety of plant materials such as nuts, grains, and fruit.
The gray fox can easily be distinguished from other fox by its coloration. The gray has a gray back with reddish-brown markings along the side and has a distinct black stripe along the top of the tail culminating in a black tip. Its tail accounts for one-third its body length. The snout of a gray fox appears much more blunted and it has darker eyes than the red fox.
The Nature Foundation of Wintergreen has thousands upon thousands of images from different camera trapping projects. The eMammal project with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the spotted skunk study with Virginia Tech and my constant movement of cameras for my own benefit has resulted in one gray fox being caught on camera a total of four times. Even the most elusive animals can be caught by cameras but the gray fox may be the exception. That is where the newest camera trapping project we are participating in seeks to fill the gaps on gray fox movement across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Virginia Gray Fox Project is a study originating from Virginia Tech seeking to ascertain the status of this elusive creature. Being led by Dr. Marcella Kelly and Ph.D. student Victoria Monette, the project began in 2024 with approximately 450 cameras across Virginia’s western counties. The 2025 season is expanding with cameras in the Piedmont region. The project is funded by Virginia DWR to gain more knowledge on the populations in the state. Sightings are so rare that relative density of this species is a bit of a mystery. Changing habitat and competition/predation from other canid species, especially coyotes, has led to a believed decrease in populations.
Wintergreen is hosting three camera locations ranging from 3500 feet to 700 feet in elevation. So far, thousands of images have been searched through and we have found zero confirmed photos but the study is yet young and I am confident we will get a second sighting of this truly elusive species.
Darkness is a vital part of human and ecosystem health. For the vast majority of human history, the natural cycle of light and darkness ran through our lives. The circadian rhythm, our 24-hour cycle that regulates our physiological and behavioral processes, is based on a light and dark phase to our cycle. Disruption of that cycle can lead to insomnia, hypertension, depression, heart disease and many more problems. Our natural melatonin production can be halted by just 15 minutes of bright light in the evening.
Wildlife is also dependent on darkness. The mass bird migrations that happen in spring and fall are done largely at night. Many of our beloved migratory birds that are on their way to Wintergreen right now travel at night. Nighttime travel offers the guidance help of the stars and moon, helps them avoid predators such as hawks, offers calmer air and cooler temperatures. Light pollution becomes a big problem when it inhibits their ability to use the stars and moon, especially when traveling under cloud cover. Light will attract them from almost 5 miles away. Mass mortality events have been recorded when foggy conditions combine with strong light pollution and birds fly into buildings due to the attraction of light. Many of our most beloved warblers, sparrows, vireos, and waterfowl use darkness as their primary travel times. Darkness also plays a key role in the predator/prey relationship happening every night at Wintergreen. Our wildlife is dependent on either the ability to hide better in complete darkness or the ability to stalk better in the dark. Our introduction of light changes that cycle.
According to International DarkSky Federation, light pollution has four components: Glare which is excessive brightness that causes discomfort, Skyglow which is brightening night sky over inhabited areas, Light Trespass which is light falling where it is not intended or needed, Clutter which is bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light. It is estimated that 99% of the population in the United States live under skies damaged by light pollution. No matter what we do at Wintergreen our night sky is compromised but we can try to improve our east coast sky visibility.
DarkSky International lays out five principles for outdoor lighting that can go a long way to improve our presence in our environment and enhance our stargazing. The first principle is that outdoor lighting should be useful. Ask yourself is this light needed and does it have a clear purpose? The second principle is that light is targeted. This means that you focus just on what needs to be illuminated and do not allow it to spill outside that area. The third is that the light is the lowest level required and no brighter than necessary. The fourth principle is that outdoor light is controlled. This involves controls such as dimmers or motion lights that turn off when not needed. The last principle is that lights are warm-colored. Use lights that have a shorter wavelength (blue-violet).
Virginia’s Dark Sky Week is coming up on April 21-28th. This designation was brought about to bring awareness to the awesome resource a brilliant night sky is to all sky gazers. Let us as a community attempt to do our small part to make sure migratory birds can arrive safely and that Wintergreen can be considered a place where the night’s sky is truly valued.
