The January full moon which occurs on Monday, Jan. 13 is called the Wolf Moon. Sources vary as to the origin of the name. Yet one thing is certain, when the name was assigned, wolves were more common than they are now. Gray wolves were once widespread in New Hampshire until habitat loss and hunting eliminated them. The last record of a wolf in the state was in 1895.

Wild members of the dog family which currently live in New Hampshire include the Eastern coyote (see the Take Me Outside column from 2/25/24) and red and gray foxes.

Many people are not aware that there are two species of foxes in our state. Gray foxes get their name from mottled fur, with bands of gray, white and black on their back. The underparts are lighter, and their tails are tipped with black. They are shorter and stockier than the red fox.

Gray foxes are less abundant but live throughout most of the state. They prefer habitats that include brushy and forested areas. Their food varies with the season. In summer they eat insects and fruit. Small mammals are consumed year-round. They may take something as large as a squirrel or a rabbit. They do most of their hunting at night, though are occasionally seen moving about at other times.

Being primarily nocturnal, they have keen senses of hearing and smell. Communication occurs through yips, barks, whines and growls. They also mark their territory with urine and scat as a message to other foxes that this is “their place”.

One of the most fascinating adaptations of the gray fox is that they are the only North American canid that can climb trees. Their semi-retractable front claws grasp a tree trunk as they push upward with their back claws. This behavior may help them escape predators such as coyotes.

Gray foxes, unlike red foxes, rarely build underground dens for raising young. They utilize hollow trees and logs, rock dens, brush or wood piles. They typically have more than one den so if they are disturbed, they can move their kits to a safer place.

Red foxes have rich orangey-red fur. Their legs, and the back of their ears are black. The tips of their bushy tails are white. In winter their fur grows thicker, with soft under fur. On cold winter nights a fox may curl up, even out in the open, wrapping its tail around its nose for insulation. The lush fur has made them a target for hunters for centuries. Fox farms, where the animals were raised for their pelts, were common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in New England.

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Red fox habitat includes open fields and edges between fields and forests. They are more likely to be seen near human habitation than their wary gray cousins. Activity during dawn and dusk is common but they also hunt at night. They may den under buildings, stone walls, dig their own burrows or enlarge ones abandoned by woodchucks.

The diet of red foxes is similar to that of gray foxes. However, they tend to be more opportunistic, eating whatever is available. If food is abundant, some will be buried and cached for later use. While hunting they rely heavily on their acute senses of smell and hearing. If they hear a rodent rustling in the grass (up to 150-300’ away), they will stalk it and then leap into the air, pouncing on the prey. This behavior is fun to watch across an evening field.

Red foxes are also quite vocal. The sound of a raspy yip, bark or scream after dark can be unsettling to us but it is part of the fox courtship and mating routine. Vocalizations also designate their territory and warn off potential competitors (males). These sounds can be heard starting in January through March, which is the mating season for both red and gray foxes.

So, if you go out to enjoy the beautiful full Wolf Moon and you hear some wild sounds in the woods, it won’t be a wolf. But it might be one of the other wild canines reminding us that the cycles of life go on even in the depth of cold winter nights.