Maryland mammals

Gray Fox in Maryland

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Native to Maryland S5 Secure in Maryland

Not listed as nonindigenous in Maryland by USGS NAS; native to its Maryland range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Gray fox standing in dappled woodlandUrocyon cinereoargenteus grayFox cameoUrocyon cinereoargenteusUrocyon cinereoargenteus in brushwoodUrocyon cinereoargenteus scottii
Photo: Adam Jackson · CC0Gray fox standing in dappled woodlandPhoto: Dcrjsr · CC BY 3.0Urocyon cinereoargenteus grayFox cameoPhoto: Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domainUrocyon cinereoargenteusPhoto: Dave Schaffer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domainUrocyon cinereoargenteus in brushwoodPhoto: Alejandro Gómez Nísino · CC BY-SA 4.0Urocyon cinereoargenteus scottii

Gray Fox in Maryland, by the numbers

Occasional in Maryland 39th most recorded of 100 mammals logged in Maryland

34 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

34 total records count every Maryland occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 33; the monthly chart covers the 33 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Gray Fox in Maryland

Most sightings fall in September to November.

33 Maryland occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Maryland records (table)
MonthRecords
January3
February1
March2
April1
May2
June0
July2
August3
September5
October6
November5
December3

Monthly gray fox occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Maryland, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Maryland, with recorded sightings peaking in September–November.

Occurrence map

Where Gray Fox has been recorded in Maryland

33 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

33 Maryland records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Mckee Beshers Wildlife Management Area 1
Smallwood State Park 1
Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area 1
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park 1

Protected places with the most gray fox sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Maryland

CountyRecords
Prince George's County 7
Garrett County 5
Montgomery County 4
Anne Arundel County 4
Wicomico County 2
Caroline County 1
Frederick County 1
Dorchester County 1
Harford County 1
Queen Anne's County 1
Washington County 1
Charles County 1
4 other counties 5

The complete county distribution, spread across 16 Maryland counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Gray fox is one of the only canids that regularly climbs trees, using hooked claws to escape predators or reach fruit, and its Maryland records concentrate in the forested cover of Savage River and Green Ridge state forests around Deep Creek Lake. NatureServe ranks the species S5, Secure, statewide.

Records climb through late summer and peak from September into November, tracking the season when juveniles disperse from their natal territory and become more visible crossing roads and trails.

Gray Fox in other states

View all states →

Gray fox standing in dappled woodland
Full species profile Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus Size 0.8–1.1 m2.5–3.7 ft Weight 3–9 kg6.6–19.8 lb Lifespan 6–8 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Maryland in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"