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NEW YORK - An upstate New York landowner, conservationist, and wildlife photographer used trail cameras to capture stunning images of a family of red foxes living on his property in Canandaigua.
Dennis Money has 143 acres of land that he manages for timber, wildlife, and recreational uses. He has been using trail cameras on his property for about six years, he said.
"Trail cams offer unique perspectives on wildlife that most people will never experience or see. My background is in conservation and I have been involved with restoring peregrine falcons, kestrels, sturgeon, river otters and white deer in Western New York," Money said. "I believe wildlife makes our lives better and certainly puts smiles on the faces of many as I have seen with the fox photos."
Red foxes breed February through March and the pups are born in April to May, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In late April, one of Money's cameras captured hundreds of 10-second videos of an adult fox and several babies darting in and out of a den. Money said the den has three entrances, suggesting that the foxes must be using a "myriad of tunnels" underground.
"It had been used last year and so a few weeks ago I checked again and found turkey feathers and tracks so I figured it was being used again," he said. "Those baby foxes are so active! So I changed the [camera] capture mode to just photos mode and got almost 2,000 photos in less than 3 days!"
The images illustrated an interest red fox characteristic: baby red foxes, called pups or kits, are born gray or brown. Within weeks, the foxes most commonly develop a red-gold coat but some foxes turn pure black or silver, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"I hope that my photos and videos will excite more people about the value of wildlife and the need to preserve habitat so that future generations can enjoy some of the excitement that I have found in my travels for so many years," Money said.