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Urocyon

Genus of carnivores

The mammals in illustrations according to nature, with descriptions)

U. littoralis Baird, 1857
† U. citrinus Tedford, Wang & Taylor (2009)
† U. galushai Tedford, Wang & Taylor (2009)
† U. minicephalus Martin, 1974
† U. progressus Stevens, 1965
† U. webbi Tedford, Wang & Taylor (2009)

Urocyon (Greek: "tailed dog") is a genus of Canidae which includes the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and the island fox (Urocyon littoralis). These two fox species are found in the Western Hemisphere. Whole genome sequencing indicates that, among living canids, Urocyon is sister to the remaining genera. Fossils of what is believed to be the ancestor of the gray fox, Urocyon progressus, have been found in Kansas and date to the Upper Pliocene, with some undescribed specimens dating even older.

Extant species

Extinct species

Species name	Type specimen era and location	U. citrinus	U. galushai	U. minicephalus	U. progressus	U. webbi
Tedford et al., 2009. Early Irvingtonian, Citrus County, Florida.
Tedford et al., 2009. Late Blancan, San Simon Valley, Graham County, Arizona.
Martin, 1974. Late Irvingtonian, Sumter County, Florida.
Stevens, 1965. Early Blancan, Meade County, Kansas. A later review found that the material represents Urocyon, but because of its fragmentary nature cannot be diagnosed as to species.
Tedford et al., 2009. Middle Hemphillian, Citrus County, Florida.

Cozumel fox

The Cozumel fox is a critically endangered small gray fox found on the island of Cozumel, Mexico. The last reported sighting was in 2001, but surveys focusing on this species have not yet been carried out. In September 2023, a live Cozumel fox was rescued from a road and subsequently released.

The Cozumel fox has not been scientifically described, but is a dwarf form, like the island fox. Compared to the island fox, however, it is slightly larger, being up to three-quarters the size of the gray fox. No skins or complete skulls of the Cozumel fox exist in any museum exhibitions, so scientists have mainly examined sub-fossils collected during archaeological excavations of Mayan civilizations who inhabited the island about 1,500–500 years ago. Upon evaluating bones from about 12 adult individuals, scientists have concluded that the Cozumel fox is extremely small – approximately 60-80% the body size of other mainland specimens.

The fox had been isolated on Cozumel for at least 5,000 years, and probably far longer. These dates would indicate that Urocyon had colonized the island before the first arrival of humans there.

References

"Fossilworks: Urocyon".
Baird, S. 1857. Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. vol.8(1):121, 138. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/43075#page/175/mode/1up Vulpinae]
{{MSW3
[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83341#page/709/mode/1up Urocyon.]
(2004). "The status of dwarf carnivores on Cozumel Island, Mexico". Biodiversity and Conservation.
Maya, Riviera. (2023-09-18). "Rarely seen gray fox rescued 'disoriented' from Cozumel highway".
Wilkinson, Laura. (2023-09-21). "Cozumel Wildlife Grey Fox - Cozumel 4 You".
(2006). "Cozumel Island fox (''Urocyon'' sp.) dwarfism and possible divergence history based on subfossil bones". [[Journal of Zoology]].
(2005). "Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog". Nature.
(2007). "A new fossil canid assemblage from the late Pleistocene of northern South America: The canids of the Inciarte asphalt pit (Zulia, Venezuela), fossil record and biogeography". [[Journal of Paleontology.
(1965). "A new species of ''Urocyon'' from the Upper Pliocene of Kansas". Journal of Mammalogy.
(2009). "Phylogenetic systematics of the North American fossil ''Caninae'' (Carnivora: ''Canidae'')". [[Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History]].
{{MSW3 Carnivora

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Report

Species name	Type specimen era and location	U. citrinus	U. galushai	U. minicephalus	U. progressus	U. webbi
Tedford et al., 2009. Early Irvingtonian, Citrus County, Florida.
Tedford et al., 2009. Late Blancan, San Simon Valley, Graham County, Arizona.
Martin, 1974. Late Irvingtonian, Sumter County, Florida.
Stevens, 1965. Early Blancan, Meade County, Kansas. A later review found that the material represents Urocyon, but because of its fragmentary nature cannot be diagnosed as to species.
Tedford et al., 2009. Middle Hemphillian, Citrus County, Florida.