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Delaware State Wildlife Animal

Grey Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus Adopted: June 10, 2010

Delaware State Wildlife Animal: Grey Fox
Photographs to purchase

The common grey fox became the official state wildlife animal of Delaware when Governor Jack A. Markell signed House Bill No. 354 on June 10, 2010.

SPONSOR: Rep. Kowalko & Sen. Ennis
Reps. Bennett Brady Mulrooney
Jaques Scott Viola
D.E. Williams

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
145th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 354

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DESIGNATION OF A STATE WILDLIFE ANIMAL.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

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WHEREAS, many states have designated a state wildlife animal in symbolic recognition of their state's natural heritage; and

WHEREAS, despite the rich diversity of Delaware's animal species, Delaware is one of only four states which has not designated a state wildlife animal; and

WHEREAS, fourth grade students at Joseph M. McVey Elementary School, as part of teacher Paul Sedacca's lessons on creative writing, have suggested that the grey fox be designated as Delaware's official state wildlife animal, and have written letters to their legislators supporting this designation; and

WHEREAS, the grey fox is a unique and primitive species, believed to be between 7 and 10 million years old, which is indigenous to Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the grey fox is a swift and powerful animal capable of running up to 28 miles per hours and the only member of the canid family which is able to climb trees; and

WHEREAS, because the grey fox does not hibernate, in the words of the McVey students, it is "always ready like our soldiers at Dover Air Force Base;" and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly believes it is appropriate to designate the grey fox as Delaware's state wildlife animal in recognition of Delaware's wildlife heritage and commitment to environmental protection and species preservation.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Chapter 3, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by adding a new "?322" thereto as follows:

"§322. State Wildlife Animal.

The grey fox is the official wildlife animal of the State."

SYNOPSIS

This Act makes the grey fox as Delaware's state wildlife animal.

Delaware Law

Delaware State Wildlife Animal: Grey Fox
Photographs to purchase

The following information was excerpted from the Delaware Code, Title 29, Chapter 3, Section 323.

Title 29 State Government
CHAPTER 3. STATE SEAL, SONG AND SYMBOLS
SECTION 323

§ 323. State wildlife animal.

The grey fox is the official wildlife animal of the State.

77 Del. Laws, c. 286, § 1.;

Sources...

Kowalko, John A.. "145th General Assembly House Bill No. 354." Delaware General Assembly. State of Delaware, 10 Jun 2010. Web. 18 Nov 2013.

"Delaware Code." State of Delaware. State of Delaware, 25 Sep 2013. Web. 18 Nov 2013.

Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

Additional Information

Furtive Foxes : by Joe Rogerson. Outdoor Delaware, Fall 2011.

Gray Fox - Urocyon cinereoargenteus: New Hampshire Public Television: NatureWorks.

Common Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus): National Wildlife Foundation's eNature.com field guide.

Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Gray Fox): Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - North American Mammals.

Urocyon cinereoargenteus Common Gray Fox: Encyclopedia of Life.

Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Gray Fox): The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web.

Urocyon cinereoargenteus - (Schreber, 1775), Gray Fox: A network connecting science with conservation - NatureServe Explorer: An Online Encyclopedia of Life.

Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775): Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Here you will find authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

State wildlife animals: Complete list of official state wildlife animals from NETSTATE.COM

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official Delaware state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.

Foxes
Diane Swanson

Welcome to the World of Foxes, by Diane Swanson. 32 pages. Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing (April 2003) Reading level: Grades 1+

The World of Animals series opens nature's door to wildlife and invites young readers to step inside. This series introduces amazing animals in a family context - where they live, what they eat, how they play!

What talents! Foxes can smell a rabbit hours after one has hopped by. Some can grip floating logs and "sail" to nearby islands. Gray foxes can even climb trees! If you thought a fox was just another pretty face, this book proves otherwise. From the frozen Arctic to the sweltering desert, Diane Swanson checks into these savvy animals and discovers the amazing things they do.

Animal Predators
Foxes
Sandra Markle

Animal Predators: Foxes, by Sandra Markle. 39 pages. Publisher: Lerner Publications (September 1, 2009) Reading level: Grades 3+

Trotting through the snow, a fox keeps its nose to the ground. It uses its amazing senses of smell and hearing to track its prey. Soft fur between its toes muffles its footsteps. When the fox spots a mouse, it leaps forward and pounces, mouth first. With the fox?s excellent hunting skills, the mouse doesn?t stand a chance against this skillful predator.

The World
of the Fox
Rebecca Grambo

The World of the Fox, by Rebecca Grambo. 109 pages. Publisher: Sierra Club Books for Children; 1st Edition. edition (September 1995)

With their quick intelligence, amazing adaptability, and expert skill as hunters, foxes are among the most successful animals in the world. In her personal, highly readable text, Rebecca Grambo describes in vivid detail the fox's acute sense of hearing, which allows it to locate scurrying insects; its superb sense of smell, which can easily pick up the scent of a dog's day-old paw print; and its excellent night vision, which can detect a rabbit's blinking eyelid in the shadows.

The World of the Fox applauds the resilience of this graceful, mysterious animal and argues that we must do all we can to ensure that the fox will continue to thrive.

Living On the Edge
Foxes
J. David Henry

Living On the Edge: Foxes, by J. David Henry. 143 pages. Publisher: Northword Press (November 1996)

NorthWord's Wildlife Series are animal specific, natural history books that are informative and entertaining.

Contains engaging texts by leading wildlife authors and experts.
Includes life cycle and natural history information, as well as observations and stories from field research.
Showcases animals in their habitats with stunning color photography

Running with
the Fox
David Macdonald

Running with the Fox, by David Macdonald. 224 pages. Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (September 21, 1989)

MacDonald is a population biologist and his goal is to understand the dynamics of fox life, from food and mating to migration and mortality.

Over the course of almost 30 years of study, he has raised many fox litters from whelps and has seen many of those same animals crushed by cars, snared by keepers, shot by farmers, accidentally butchered by combines, or perish from disease or abuse inflicted by other fox or feral dogs. In the wild, few things ever die of old age or in their sleep. Despite all, the fox not only persists but thrives. How?

Running With the Fox is David Macdonald's masterpiece.