The gray fox is an omnivore whose foods include fruits, grains, small mammals, insects, foods offered by humans, garbage, birds, and carrion (Fritzell, 1987, Harrison, 1995). Small mammals were reported by Grinnell (et al., 1984) to be the most important food source.
Fritzell (1987) noted gray fox preferences for wooded, brushy, and rocky habitats particularly for daytime resting sites. Gray foxes are most active from sunset to sunrise; thus they utilize darkness as a functional type of cover. They are shy and elusive and flee when threatened, often climbing trees to escape. They may also seek cover in dens when threatened. Preferred denning sites include natural caves, rock outcroppings, hollow logs, brush piles, and burrows of other animals that can be enlarged. An average home range for gray fox range of approximately 100ha was reported by Trapp (1978).
As seen in figures 76 and 77, potential fox habitat will decline by about half, or 65,000ha, as a result of Plans Build-Out. This is mainly due to new rural residential development in coastal foothills landscapes. Perhaps more significant, the remaining potential habitat pattern will be much more highly fragmented, thus constraining regional movement and genetic transference.