A photo of an unusual fox is quickly picking up viral fame on social media – and authorities at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources say that it’s “an incredibly rare sight.”
On social media, the Michigan DNR has confirmed that a photo of an unusual dark-furred fox is actually a melanistic gray fox. “This is an incredibly rare sight, and it’s the only example we’re currently aware of in the Midwest,” the government organization said in an Instagram post.
The DNR explained that melanism is a genetic condition that gives an animal a much darker coat than the species usually exhibits. Michigan’s most common example of melanism is the black squirrel, which is actually a melanistic gray squirrel.
Michigan has two different species of foxes, the more common red fox and the less common gray fox. The DNR says that the photo is a melanistic gray fox.
Melanistic red foxes, commonly referred to as silver foxes, are uncommon, but more frequently spotted than melanistic gray foxes. A key indicator is the tail. Red foxes have a white tip to the tail, while gray foxes have a black tip. Gray foxes can also climb trees, while red foxes cannot due to differences in their claws.
The social media comments on the post, however, were quick to point out that Michigan’s rare melanistic “black” gray fox actually looks rather purple. So what’s going on in the photograph?
While the fox’s different look is due to genetics, the fox’s “purple” is likely due to a photography error. The photograph appears to have an incorrect white balance. White balance adjusts a photo’s colors based on the light source, and an incorrect setting can skew a photograph’s colors towards orange, green, blue, or purple.
Looking closely in the background of the shot, the white clover flowers also take on a purple tone, suggesting that the purple coloring likely comes from a camera setting and not from manipulating the fox with software.
The Michigan DNR is currently looking for reports of fox sightings, both current and past, particularly with photos, as part of research to better understand where red and gray foxes live in Michigan. The DNR encourages reporting Michigan fox sightings and photos with an online reporting tool.
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