State asks residents to report gray fox sightings

• The public's sightings can help shape future research and conservation of the mammal breed that helps control rodent populations.

State of play: Research conducted in partnership with Northern Michigan University, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians and The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians found that gray foxes are even rarer than previously assumed.

• Now, the DNR wants to better understand their locations, habits and potential factors in their disappearance.

So, the state asks residents to report gray foxes they've seen — not just recently, but even years ago — to help it assess if they're gone from certain areas or just hard to find. Photo evidence helps the most, including footage from doorbell cameras.

• They're near people more often than we expect, sometimes using garages or sheds near forests for shelter, DNR researcher Tyler Petroelje said in a news release.

What they're saying: "A single photograph or sighting may seem small, but when combined with reports from across the state, it can provide valuable insight into Michigan's gray fox population," Cody Norton, DNR furbearer specialist, said in the release.

Zoom in: To determine if an animal is a gray fox, look for a gray coat with some red coloration on legs and necks, with white bellies and throat. They also have a black stripe along their tails with a black tip.

• Red foxes have black-backed ears while gray foxes have gray and reddish-brown ears.

Go deeper: Report a gray fox sighting