Well, before the bear savaged the cam, the local foxes came out to play.
Tehachapi log set before Stephen Colbert's Nightmare - that's cam #s600CF in the center
The first gray fox to the scene wasn't very gray at all. Kind of bronze, in fact. Also note that the normally black tail crest and tip is much reduced, and more coffee in color. Interesting.
Gray fox color morph that's more bronze and brown, than gray and black
Bronze fox up on the log
Foxes came by the log 10 of the 12 nights before the nightmare-bear hacky-sacked the camera. They accounted for 85 of the 233 total photos.
Typical gray-gray foxes visited most of the time. The skunky scent I had sprayed in the log and on the ground seems to really make 'em bouncy. Or, perhaps they're always that way.
Sniffing the scent in the log
Checking out the camera
Boing!
Listening... (remember - it's quite dark - ears and noses are their true eyes at night)
Tracking...
Tag! You're it! The quick gray foxes jumping over the lazy brown log
Much more typical coloring on these two
Even playing in the rain
And mugging for the camera
Have a very Merry Christmas, and happy holiday week, all.
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References:
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Urocyon cinereoargenteus
- Wikipedia - Gray Fox
- Nature of a Man (this blog) - Stephen Colbert's Nightmare
- Nature of a Man (this blog) - posts on cam trapping the Tehachapis
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