Meet the Only Tree-Climbing Canine in North America—and Delaware’s Official Symbol

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Quick Shot

• gray fox It was named Delaware’s official wild animal in 2010 after a fourth-grade class turned a persuasive writing assignment into law.

• This appointment attracts attention gray fox meets habitat needs and promotes conservation awareness throughout schools and state policy.

• Counterintuitively, gray fox It is the only canid in North America that regularly climbs trees, a trait that helped cement its symbolic status.

• Read on to discover what a statewide debate looked like in 2015 gray fox hunting season tested the balance between symbolism and practical wildlife management.

Delaware’s official wild animal is not a bird from the coastal marshes or a creature from the Atlantic waves. Instead, it’s a small, tree-climbing bird. fox It moves easily between agricultural fields and forest edges. In 2010, fourth-grade students at Joseph M. McVey Elementary School convinced state lawmakers that the gray fox deserved the distinction. They argued that the animal was native to Delaware, active year-round, and resilient to changing environments. These features, they said, reflected the character of the First State. What started as a class project has become law showing how native wildlife and civic engagement intersect in Delaware’s identity.

A Fox for the First State

Before 2010, Delaware had adopted many official symbols but had never named a wild animal in the state. Most other states had already done this, allowing negligence to be noticed. Teacher Paul Sedacca turned this gap into a persuasive writing assignment for fourth graders at McVey Elementary School. The class researched native species and discussed which animal best represented Delaware’s environment and values.

They chose the gray fox, a mammal that has long been resident in the area and is known to remain active during the winter months rather than hibernating. Students compared this characteristic to the constant readiness, including the presence of soldiers stationed at Dover Air Force Base. Their letters combined ecological research with civic pride, forming the basis of the legislative effort.

From Class Idea to Parliamentary Law

The students’ proposal reached the Delaware General Assembly as House Bill 354. The bill amends Title 29 of the Delaware Code to designate an official state wild animal. During committee discussions, lawmakers noted that Delaware is among a small number of states that do not have such a designation. Some lawmakers praised the students’ work as a strong example of civic engagement and cited their letters and research during debate. The bill passed both chambers and was signed into law by Governor Jack Markell on June 10, 2010. The statute officially designates the gray fox as Delaware’s official wild animal. For the students who participated, a writing assignment served as proof that clear arguments can shape public law.

Why Do States Designate Official Animals?

States across the country choose official animals to express common identity, history and values. These symbols are often indigenous species or closely linked to local landscapes and livelihoods. In many cases, the selection process begins in classrooms or community groups, turning the decision into a practical lesson in biology, history, and government. By adopting an animal, a state creates a recognizable symbol that appears in schools, public materials and educational programs, helping residents associate wildlife with a sense of place.

Official pet names can also influence policy and public awareness. Recognition often draws attention to habitat needs and encourages support for research, conservation and responsible management. This visibility for the animal could mean a broader understanding of its role in local ecosystems. For the state, the symbol reinforces pride in natural resources and encourages stewardship. In this way, official animals act as representatives, combining environmental responsibility with cultural identity and reminding people that human communities and wildlife share the same ground.

Meeting Delaware’s Wild Neighbor

Gray fox is a small member. dog They are usually a family sized, weighing between 7 and 15 pounds and standing about 12 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder. The back of its coat is gray with reddish tones on the sides, neck and legs, and a black stripe and tip on the tail. This coloration helps it blend into woodland and bush environments. Gray foxes generally live on forest edges, shrublands, and mixed landscapes rather than deep wilderness. They usually nest in hollow logs, rock crevices, brush piles or tree holes. It is mostly active at night, their diet They include rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, and seasonal fruits, making them adaptable omnivores that influence both prey populations and seed dispersal.

America’s Climbing Canid

One feature distinguishes the gray fox from most other members of the dog family. It can climb trees. Biologists describe gray foxes as the only North American canids that climb regularly as part of their normal behavior. Semi-retractable paws and rotating forelimbs allow the fox to climb hard bark and move along branches. When threatened by coyotes, domestic dogs, or humans, the gray fox may flee upwards rather than fleeing into the open. It also climbs to reach fruit, bird nests, or resting spots above the forest floor. This ability impressed the students, who championed the fox and reinforced its image as adaptable and resourceful; these qualities were often associated with Delaware’s growth and changes in land use.

Delaware Sights, Delaware Foxes

Despite its small size, Delaware contains a mix of habitats well-suited to gray foxes. Tidal wetlands, farmland, suburban neighborhoods, and patches of second-growth forest all provide food and shelter. Wildlife biologists note that gray foxes prefer areas where forests, shrubs and open fields meet. These conditions are common throughout much of the state’s coastal plain and northern highlands. The fox’s diverse diet allows it to adapt to seasonal changes and human development. While forests are divided by roads and housing, the gray fox continues to live quietly near people. By choosing an animal already present in everyday landscapes, Delaware highlighted how ordinary places contribute to the state’s natural history.

Sharing the Spotlight with Other State Animals

The gray fox joins a group of established Delaware symbols. These include the Blue Hen as the state bird, the horseshoe crab as the state marine animal, and the weakfish as the state fish. The Blue Hen Chicken’s symbolic roots date back to the Revolutionary War, when soldiers in Kent County were associated with hardy, blue-feathered gamecocks. This reputation later shaped the state bird title and the University of Delaware’s mascot.

The horseshoe crab was officially recognized in 2002, with Delaware Bay home to one of the largest spawning populations in the world. Its eggs support migrating shorebirds, so it is a valuable species for both marine and terrestrial habitats. Together, these animals reflect Delaware’s military history, coastal ecology, fisheries, and forestlands.

Fox Politics: Pride and Controversy

Its status as a state symbol has not excluded the gray fox from political controversy. Questions about hunting and wildlife management have arisen since his appointment. In 2015, legislation was proposed that would allow a statewide gray fox hunting season and commercial sale of pelts. This raised concerns, including from former McVey Elementary students who supported naming the fox that way and were concerned about it being treated as a symbol. Lawmakers ultimately did not allow a general hunting season. Existing regulations continued to allow landowners and poultry keepers to kill foxes under certain disturbance or animal protection conditions. The episode showed how symbolic animals remain subject to practical wildlife policy decisions.

Symbols, Schools, and Civics Lessons

For Delaware students, the gray fox campaign became a lasting lesson in the civic process. The project required scientific research, evaluation of native species, and discussion of how animal behavior can reflect human values. Students learned how laws are proposed, debated, and enacted. Seeing their ideas referenced in legislative language showed that public participation is not limited by age. Educators and government agencies continue to use the story when teaching about Delaware’s symbols and government. In this context, the gray fox represents civic engagement as much as it represents wildlife.

Tidewater to Tree Line

Delaware’s identity extends from coastal waters to inland forests. Horseshoe crabs breed on its shores, Blue Hens linger in historical memory, and gray foxes roam modern suburbs and fields. By determining Urocyon cinereoargenteus As the state’s wild animal, Delaware chose a species that reflects adaptability and persistence. The fox’s presence near farms, towns and woodlands reflects how the state balances development and conservation. The silent passage of a gray fox along a treeline is a reminder that a group of students once helped their state recognize the value of wildlife living alongside its people.

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