Mystery in the tree top

[reible]

I've been unable to venture out much since April 2nd so it really felt good to get out for a walk in nature again.

Flowers everywhere! Bluebells by the millions, a few frogs, a turtle, and just about every spring flower we have here is showing off.

I happened to like to scan the trees while I walk 'cause you never know what you might find. Today was no exception, but I don't even know how I spotted this. In fact I wasn't sure if it were even anything until I zoomed in on it and could see the fur. You know the old saying, trees don't grow fur.

Being totally honest I don't know for sure what it is. At first I though a raccoon but then I thought a fox.... yes foxes can and do climb trees. What even it was having us crashing about on the trail didn't even cause a stir. A herd of kids going by that would have woken the dead, nothing........ So what do you think it is and why?

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From the other side.

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Way up in the tree.

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We will never know for sure but people love a mystery.

Ed

[Hobbyman2]

Looking at the fur and the ears it would be my guess it is a coon.

[skou]

Watch out! Animals with masks are dangerous!

Really, I've had a few ferrets, and a young
raccoon. Raccoons are quite fun, if you
catch them as a youngster. Warning, they
have FOUR hands! But, they're quite cute.

steve

[algale]

I enlarged the second photo and cranked up the brightness. I can see both ears and the forehead. No mask. It looks like the animal is curled up with its snout tucked into/under its tail. The tail looks bushy to me and has no rings.

Although I am not super confident, I'd rule out racoon because of the lack of a mask or rings. I think it is a gray or red fox. That curled up pose is classic canine. The fur in the first pic looks gray. The second pic shows fur with more of a hint of red. Legs aren't visible and would give the answer since red foxes have black socks.

I only recently learned that both gray and red foxes will climb trees, but only gray foxes have curved nails/claws that will allow them to grip and climb a tree that is really vertical. Red foxes generally can only climb trees that are leaning. The tree in the pic is leaning, so it could be either.

I can't believe you spotted that, Ed.

[BuckeyeDennis]

I certainly never knew that fox could climb trees.

Al, in all the pics of red fox that I could find, they have black on the back side of their ears. Ed's little friend doesn't, so he must be a gray fox.

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Also, the link below states "The gray fox is easily distinguished from the red fox by a mane of short, stiff black hairs along the back leading to a bushy, black-tipped tail." The black "mane" can be seen clearly in one of Ed's photos.

https://www.nps.gov/neri/learn/nature/gray-fox.htm

[algale]

I certainly never knew that fox could climb trees.

Al, in all the pics of red fox that I could find, they have black on the back side of their ears. Ed's little friend doesn't, so he must be a gray fox.

IMG_0785.JPG
Also, the link below states "The gray fox is easily distinguished from the red fox by a mane of short, stiff black hairs along the back leading to a bushy, black-tipped tail." The black "mane" can be seen clearly in one of Ed's photos.

https://www.nps.gov/neri/learn/nature/gray-fox.htm

Forgot about the red fox having black on the back of its ears. Good point!

We have had fox in our suburban neighborhood for as long as I have lived here (17 plus years). Mostly I just see their tracks in the snow. But earlier this spring I walked out my rear door and standing next to my shed was a beautiful red fox.

[Hobbyman2]

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It could be a gray , I have never seen one go that high in a tree before though.

The black stripe on its back in the first picture sure looks like a masked friend .

[dusty]

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It could be a gray , I have never seen one go that high in a tree before though.

The black stripe on its back in the first picture sure looks like a masked friend .

They are much prettier in their natural habitat.

[Hobbyman2]

I find that to be very true in my older days !!

At one time trapping kept my family fed .

Now I just like watching them .