Gray fox family: Part 6 - Dolly and Frances at play (again)

[@creativeamanda4327]

Awe Dolly and Frances are such a sweet mother and daughter duo

[@loz3135]

So heartwarming ❤

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

True.

[@Tser]

Holy crumbs.... It's just too cute.

[@rosemaryowens7290]

So beautiful!😊

[@Marilyn12346]

Adorable ❤

[@lolanoneya]

😍Thank you for Part 6 of the Gray fox family. 😍

[@geraldinefields1730]

Thank you.

[@grandlotus1]

Coolio! Isn't is a grand mystery that baby mammals all learn by "playing"? There is something supernatural in that, IMHO.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

True. We all play when we're young. Raccoons seem never to grow out of it. The foxes are a little more dignified.

[@jennababin]

Thank you so much for these amazing videos! So loving them❤

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Thank you for letting us know that you're having fun with the foxes, Jenna.

[@carak4356]

Fantastic footage! Thx for the upload ❤

[@beatricetreadwell5785]

This is just so wonderful!❤️

[@SimBianchi]

Oh my, they are so adorable! Poor Dad, I hope his ear can get better?

[@catsara9114]

@@VeryUselessPerson 🙁

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Yes, sadly, Broken Ear's ear did get better after a week or two, but he disappeared in January 2024 and when Dolly showed up with a new mate we realized BE must have died. He was quite old; missing all his canines, but we still miss him.

[@catsara9114]

This beautiful and educational video shows os once again how important siblings are for animal kids 😆😍But then again, Dolly is sooo patient - I wonder if she is exceptional or if all grey fox parents are like this when they have a single kit 😍 Broken Ear might be excused because of his pain ... hopefully his ear healed up quickly.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

We've never seen another fox parent who was anything like as playful and attentive as Dolly, so we think she might be exceptional. Mostly the mamas are pretty businesslike, and the fathers are 99% absent. Broken Ear was a great father once his ear healed, and this year's papa fox, Pale Fox, is a brilliant and very involved father.

[@baneverything5580]

I saw one in my yard a while back and saw tracks in a wash when I got garden soil about a week ago. I`m gonna put a camera in the wash because it`s used as a safe trail and has puddles with frogs and even mosquito minnows from somewhere up the hills. I feed the birds near that area and I`m sure they keep an eye on them and any rodents it might attract.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Your yard sounds like a little wildlife paradise. We long for puddles and frogs.

[@SpecialSP]

Frances is so adorable. My mother's name was Frances. She wasn't this cute!

[@KapricornKary]

😂😂😂

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Maybe when your mother was a little one she was this cute?

[@SpecialSP]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife Maybe. I never saw the cute side of her.

[@trh1493]

Im in West Central Texas...and have been intrigued by your videos...I live in the country and have been seeing a Fox come right down my road nearly every day around dusk and sometimes in the afternoon...I wanted to leave food out for the Fox but didn't know what to give them so I looked on Internet and saw some things that they can eat that 'perhaps' cats and other animals wont get...I have been putting grapes and a chicken egg in front of my yard on my road...I have seen a fox getting the food several times... Is there anything else I could give them ?

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Most of the things that gray foxes like to eat are things that cats etc also like to eat. The chicken egg is a great idea. And so are grapes - foxes are omnivores. We see them eat native persimmons, and they'll also snack on sunflower seeds that we put out for the birds and squirrels. They eat dog food, though so will a cat I assume, and they'll eat chicken and other meats (again, so will a cat). So great that you're making friends with one of your local foxes!

[@trh1493]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife Thank you for your reply and information......I enjoy your videos !.....

[@marina3934]

I don’t how much correct this is, but I’d try to avoid feeding grapes them, it can cause kidney damage and shorten lifespan in canines. The effects of grapes on foxes specifically haven’t been studied but I’d just be careful. Too much sugar and tartaric acid may cause health problems. Eggs are great though! Maybe try a different fruit though like blueberries. But I’m sure the fox will be fine as long as you didn’t leave out a whole bunch of grapes 💜

[@trh1493]

@@marina3934 I just saw your comment on here today! 😮‍💨 I have been feeding them a handful of grapes EVERY evening...they don't eat while Im outside but come during the late night hours...I also added cooked sweet potatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe,cooked carrots .I think there is more than 1 so I make a plate full... Im scared NOW that I have created some health problems for them...? I guess I will go back to putting a couple of eggs out ONLY...I did put blueberries out and they didn't eat them ?

[@marina3934]

@@trh1493 wild grapes are found in nature, so I don’t think a handful would have too much of a harmful effect, but for now I would do a different fruit 💕💗

[@trh1493]

update : I was told by someone that grapes can be toxic to fox's just like they are to dogs...Is this just misinformation or has something been found recently to not feed grapes? I also added cooked sweet potatoes/watermelon and cantaloupe.They don't seem to eat the cantaloupe much...some is always left behind. I know you know much about fox's..Have you heard any such thing ?

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

To be honest, we don't know all that much - we know what we observe, but we're not experts. I just Googled some information about grapes, and they are, indeed toxic to dogs. They contain tartaric acid and dogs can't metabolize it. Foxes are part of the canid family - they're distant dog cousins. It's very likely that they have the same sensitivity to grapes so it would be best to avoid them. We're so glad you asked this question. I would have had no clue that grapes could cause problems if you hadn't prompted me to look it up.

[@trh1493]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife I plan on asking my Vet Mon morining...Thank you for your quick reply ~!

[@kimsmith6469]

I wounder how dad got his Ear injured? Poor guy.m

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

He injured it originally in Feb 2021 (during the huge Texas snowstorm). We assume it was a territorial squabble with another fox. Then he injured it again just after he and Dolly moved Frances into the den. Again, we assume it was a territorial fight. Poor Broken Ear.