We Struck Silver When Nitro Received his Permit to be our Newest Ambassador Animal

Nitro was found in July wandering around a forested area in Tampa. We soon noticed he is very  imprinted to humans, we suspect someone tried to raise him as a pet before setting him loose to fend for himself. After trying to locate his family with no luck, we decided to welcome him as an educational ambassador and we feel extremely lucky to have him!

If you fell in love with him at first sight, you’re not alone. He is extremely handsome! Nitro is a silver fox, which is actually the exact same species as the red fox, with the only difference being its fur coloration. A silver fox fur can range from a bold silver color to almost completely black, and this beautiful animal is part of the Canidae Family, making it a close relative of dogs and wolves.

Foxes are versatile animals able to survive in all types of environments, from forests to grasslands, mountains and deserts, and they do really well in neighborhoods too. This versatility comes because they can eat a variety of foods. They prefer mice, rats and rabbits but they will eat small birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, fruits, berries, insects and even carrion if necessary.

Unlike their other canine relatives, they can’t bark or howl. Instead, they produce a variety of high pitched sounds like screams and their most distinct noise is called a “gekker”. It is very common to hear them at night in Florida if you live near a woody area, they gekker when they feel nervous or excited, whether they’re playing or claiming territory.

‍