What is it?

[HNT ETX]

I consulted a buddy of mine who is a wildlife manager, I promise I did not persuade him one way or the other (heee,heee,heee) and he said it was a grey fox.

[Snakelover]

I consulted a buddy of mine who is a wildlife manager, I promise I did not persuade him one way or the other (heee,heee,heee) and he said it was a grey fox.

Why would a wildlife manager have any better idea than anyone else? Heck, I have a degree in Willdlife Management myself. The problem isn't lack of knowledge or experience about wildlife identification, it's having a picture that doesn't have enough clarity to be certain of what we're looking at. If the picture were clear, we'd all instantly know what it is. I would like to have the original full resolution picture so that I could crop it to 800 pixels and post it at it's best postable resolution.

[Cuz]

I dont think the Pic is that bad. But, i am going to email you the original pic when i pull the card Friday. Hopefully that will solve this.

[OUTLAW]

Could be a grey fox .

[BTLowry]

First thought was grey fox but upon closer inspection I believe it is a young yote



Final answer

[Snakelover]

I dont think the Pic is that bad. But, i am going to email you the original pic when i pull the card Friday. Hopefully that will solve this.

Well, it may or may not. But it couldn't hurt to post the best picture possible. Might pick up just enough extra detail to tell something new.

[OPC Patrick]

just looks like a small white square to me.

[Cuz]

Here is a Grey Fox that was killed not to far from where this pic was taken. Maybe 200 yards. A lot of the same characteristics.
White side of face, red behind that, red and white on the belly...

[Fredbear012]

Its a yotey

[bowpete]

100 %coati

[Snakelover]

Thanks for emailing the full sized picture, Cuzins8. Not sure how much better it is, but here is the actual pixels only cropped...



And here it is cropped tight then blown up to 800 pixels wide...

[bucksnbass]

Looks like a young coyote to me. It appears to be too tall for a fox.

[Silver 1]

coyote

[Snakelover]

I'm convinced it is NOT a fox. Or, at least, if it is a fox, its markings and physical characteristics are extremely atypical. On a gray fox, the tawny red color normally covers the back of the ear and extends down the side of the neck all the way to the chest. Also there is normally a black facial marking that extends from the inside corner of the eye to the upper lip, bisecting the white line that runs along the side of the face. And there is normally some black extending from the ouside corner of the eye toward the back of the head. Some almost look like they're wearing eye liner. Additionally, a fox is taller at the hip than at the shoulder. And a foxes tail is normally as long as the distance between its shoulder and the base of the tail, long enough to reach the ground. And the tail of a fox is normally extended straight back when they run, so it would be doubtful that you would catch a picture of one running that didn't clearly show the characteristic long tail. Here is a photograph of a pair of gray foxes that I took myself...



This pair of foxes raised a litter of kits under my girlfriend's barn. The nursing female is standing in the foreground on the log and the male is in the background. Notice the tawny red coloring from the ear to the chest on both. It's very prominant in the male. Although there may be some variation in individuals, I haven't seen a gray fox or even a picture of one that completely lacks that marking.

Although, granted, most coyotes don't have white at the throat or a dark tipped tail, some do. They're markings can be highly variable. Much more so than a fox. Although your TC picture may not 100% conclusive, I really think it is a coyote.

[Coup de Grace]

coyote...