Kit fox[1]
San Joaquin kit fox
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Vulpes
Species:	V. macrotis
Binomial name
Vulpes macrotis Merriam, 1888
Kit fox range
Synonyms
arizonensis Goldman, 1931 arsipus Elliot, 1904 devius Nelson and Goldman, 1909 muticus Merriam, 1902 neomexicanus Merriam, 1903 nevadensis Goldman, 1931 tenuirostris Nelson and Goldman, 1931 zinseri Benson, 1938

The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is a fox species of North America. Its range is primarily in the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. Some mammalogists classify it as conspecific with the swift fox, V. velox, but molecular systematics imply that the two species are distinct.

Range[link]

The northernmost part of its range is the arid interior of Oregon. Its eastern limit is southwestern Colorado. It can be found south through Nevada, Utah, southeastern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and into western Texas.^[3]

Appearance[link]

The kit fox is the smallest species of the Canidae family that can be found in North America. They have large ears, between 71–95 mm (2.8–3.75 in), that help the fox lower its body temperature and give it exceptional hearing. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the male being slightly larger. The average species weight is between 1.6–2.7 kg (3.5–6 lbs). The body length is 455 to 535 mm (18 to 21 in). The tail adds another 250–340 mm (9.85–13.4 in) to their length.^[3]

It usually has a gray coat, with rusty tones, and a black tip to its tail. Unlike the gray fox, it has no stripe along the length of its tail. Their color ranges from yellowish to gray. Their back is usually darker than the majority of their coat, and their belly and inner ears are usually lighter. They have distinct dark patches around the nose.^[3]

Diet[link]

The Kit fox is mostly a nocturnal^[4] animal but sometimes ventures out of its den during the day. The Kit fox usually goes out to hunt shortly after sunset, mostly eating small animals such as kangaroo rats, cottontail rabbits, black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus), meadow voles, hares, prairie dogs, insects, lizards, snakes, fish, and ground-dwelling birds. They will scavenge carrion. While primarily carnivorous, if food is scarce, they have been known to eat tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), cactus fruits (Carnegiea gigantea) and other fruits. Different Kit fox families can occupy the same hunting grounds, but do not generally go hunting at the same time.^[3]

Habitat[link]

Kit foxes favor arid climates, like desert scrub, chaparral, and grasslands. Good examples of common habitats are sagebrush Artemisia tridentata and saltbrush Atriplex polycarpa. They can be found in urban and agricultural areas, too. They are found between elevations of 400 to 1,900 meters (1,300 to 6,200 feet).^[3]

Mating[link]

Male and female kit foxes usually establish monogamous mating pairs during October and November. Polygamous mating relationships have been observed. Pairs can change year to year. They mate from December to February, when they use larger family dens.^{[clarification needed]} Litters are born throughout March and April, usually containing 1 to 7 pups, and averaging 4 pups. The gestation is 49 to 55 days. Pups do not leave the den until they are 4 weeks old. They are weaned after about 8 weeks and become independent at 5 to 6 months old. They become sexually mature at 10 months. Both parents take part in raising and protecting their young. The average lifespan of a wild kit fox is 5.5 years. In captivity, they can live 12 years. One California study of 144 kit fox pups showed a 74% mortality rate in pups within the first year.^[5][3]

Subspecies[link]

The Kit fox has no recognized subspecies, although some populations have been proposed as subspecies.^[1]

The San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) was formerly common in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Its 1990 population was estimated to be 7,000, and it is now considered endangered. On September 26, 2007, Wildlands Inc. announced the designation of the 684-acre (2.77 km²) Deadman Creek Conservation Bank, which is intended specifically to protect habitat of the San Joaquin Kit fox.^[6] Causes of population declines include heavy competition with the red fox and habitat loss.

The desert kit fox (Vulpes macrotis arsipus) lives in the Mojave Desert.

The Southern California kit fox (Vulpes macrotis macrotis) was a population of kit foxes native to desert regions of Southern California which became extinct in 1903.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vulpes macrotis

• ARKive – images and movies of the kit fox (Vulpes macrotis)

Look up kit in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Kit may refer to:

Collections[link]

Any collection of items or components needed for a specific purpose, especially for use by a workman, or personal effects packed for travelling, such as:

• Body kit, a collection of exterior modifications to a car
• Body hygiene kit, a small bag for storing bathroom and toiletry items for travel
• Drum kit, a collection of drums, cymbals, etc. arranged for convenient playing
• Electronic kit, an assembly kit for any electronic equipment, including a computer
• First aid kit, a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid
• Field kit, a generic term for a field-specific kit
• Garage kit, an assembly scale model kit
• Graphic kit, a set of decal s for an automobile, motorcycle, model car, or other toy, used to customize the item
• Hush kit, a device for reducing noise from an engine
• Jenter kit, a piece of equipment used by beekeepers to raise large numbers of queen honeybees
• Kit car, an automobile in parts that is assembled
• Kit bag, a large cylindrical bag made of cloth (or other fabric) with a drawstring closure at the top
• Kit house, a type of prefabricated housing
• Knock-down kit, a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product
• Mess kit, a collection of silverware and cookware used during camping, backpacking, and extended military campaigns
• Plastic kit, a scale model supplied as individual parts of moulded plastic for assembly by hobbyists
• Press kit, a pre-packaged set of promotional materials of a person, company, or organization
• Rape kit, a set of items used by medical personnel for gathering and preserving physical evidence following an allegation of sexual assault which can be used in rape investigation
• Robot kit, a special construction kit for building robots
• Software development kit, a set of tools to create an application
• Stroker kit, an aftermarket assembly that increases the displacement of a reciprocating engine
• Survival kit, a package of basic tools and supplies prepared in advance as an aid to survival in an emergency
• Teaching kit, a teaching resource developed by a museum education department

Animals[link]

• A young ferret
• A young rabbit
• A young mink
• A young fox
• A young beaver
• A short form of kitten, a young cat
• A group of pigeons
• Kit fox, a relatively common North American fox

Music[link]

• Kit (album), 2004 rock album by The Rebel
• Kit violin, a small stringed musical instrument

Film[link]

• Kit (film), 1970 Bulgarian satirical movie directed by Petar B. Vasilev

• Short for Christopher, as for example Kit Carson. Christopher Marlowe was also called Kit. St. Christopher Island in the Caribbean is called St. Kitts.

People[link]

• Kit (given name)
• Barys Kit, a Belarusian scientist

Sport[link]

• Kit (rugby football), the standard equipment and attire worn by players in rugby football
• Kit (association football), the standard equipment and attire worn by players in association football

Technology[link]

• Kit lens, a low-end SLR camera lens

See also[link]

• All pages beginning with "Kit"
• All pages with titles containing "Kit"
• Kit's Coty, a small village in the English county of Kent
• Kits (disambiguation)
• KIT (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2007)

Foxes
Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Tribe:	Vulpini
Genera
Vulpes Cerdocyon Chrysocyon †Dusicyon Otocyon Urocyon

Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids (slightly smaller than the medium-sized domestic dog), characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail (or brush).

Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to the Vulpes genus of "true foxes". By far the most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), although various species are found on almost every continent. The presence of fox-like carnivores all over the globe, together with their widespread reputation for cunning, has contributed to their appearance in popular culture and folklore in many societies around the world (see also Foxes in culture).

Etymology[link]

The Modern English word "fox" is Old English, and comes from the Proto-Germanic word fukh – compare German Fuchs, Gothic fauho, Old Norse foa and Dutch vos. It corresponds to the Proto-Indo-European word puk- meaning "tail of it" (compare Sanskrit puccha, also "tail"). The bushy tail is also the source of the word for fox in Welsh: llwynog, from llwyn, "bush, grove".^[1] Lithuanian: uodegis, from uodega, "tail", Portuguese: raposa, from rabo, "tail"^[2] and Ojibwa: waagosh, from waa, which refers to the up and down "bounce" or flickering of an animal or its tail.^[3] Male foxes are known as dogs or reynards, females as vixens, and young as kits, pups or cubs. A group of foxes is a "skulk", "leash", "troop" or "earth".

General characteristics[link]

The fennec fox is the smallest species of fox.

Arctic fox curled up in snow.

In the wild, foxes can live for up to 10 years, but most foxes only live for 2 to 3 years due to hunting, road accidents and diseases. Foxes are generally smaller than other members of the family Canidae such as wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs. Reynards (male foxes) weigh, on average, around 5.9 kilograms (13 lb) and vixens (female foxes) weigh less, at around 5.2 kilograms (11.5 lb).^[4] Fox-like features typically include a distinctive muzzle (a "fox face") and bushy tail. Other physical characteristics vary according to habitat. For example, the fennec fox (and other species of fox adapted to life in the desert, such as the kit fox) has large ears and short fur, whereas the Arctic fox has tiny ears and thick, insulating fur. Another example is the red fox which has a typical auburn pelt, the tail normally ending with white marking. Litter sizes can vary greatly according to species and environment – the Arctic fox, for example, has an average litter of four to five, with eleven as maximum.^[5]

Unlike many canids, foxes are not always pack animals. Typically, they live in small family groups, and are opportunistic feeders that hunt live prey (especially rodents). Using a pouncing technique practiced from an early age, they are usually able to kill their prey quickly. Foxes also gather a wide variety of other foods ranging from grasshoppers to fruit and berries. The gray fox is one of only two canine species known to climb trees; the other is the raccoon dog.

Foxes are normally extremely wary of humans and are not usually kept as indoor pets; however, the silver fox was successfully domesticated in Russia after a 45-year selective breeding program. This selective breeding also resulted in physical and behavioral traits appearing that are frequently seen in domestic cats, dogs, and other animals, such as pigmentation changes, floppy ears, and curly tails.^[6]

Classification[link]

Skeleton

Canids commonly known as foxes include members of the following genera:

• Alopex: Arctic fox, although the definitive mammal taxonomy list as well as genetic evidence places it in Vulpes, and not as a genus unto itself.
• Canis: The Ethiopian Wolf, also called, variously, Semien fox or Semien jackal (though recently renamed to reflect its biological affinity with the gray wolf).
• Cerdocyon: Crab-eating fox.
• Chrysocyon: Maned wolf (in English), aguara guazú ("big fox" in Guarani) and zorro rojizo ("reddish fox," one of several names used by Spanish speakers).
• Dusicyon: Falkland Islands fox.
• Lycalopex: Six South American species.
• Otocyon: Bat-eared fox.
• Urocyon: Gray fox, island fox and Cozumel fox.
• Vulpes: Including 12 species of true foxes, including the red fox, V. vulpes, Tibetan Sand Fox, Vulpes ferrilata and their closest kin.

Diet[link]

A Chilla fox in Pan de Azúcar National Park in the coast of Atacama Desert.

Foxes are omnivores.^[7][8] The diet of foxes is largely made up of invertebrates and other small mammals, reptiles, (such as snakes), amphibians, scorpions, grasses, berries, fruit, fish, birds, eggs, dung beetles, insects and all other kinds of small animals. Many species are generalist predators, but some (such as the crab-eating fox) are more specialist. Most species of fox generally consume around 1 kg of food every day. Foxes cache excess food, burying it for later consumption, usually under leaves, snow, or soil.

Conservation[link]

The island fox is a critically endangered species.

Foxes are readily found in cities and cultivated areas and (depending upon species) seem to adapt reasonably well to human presence.

Red foxes have been introduced into Australia which lacks similar carnivores other than the dingo, and the introduced foxes prey on native wildlife, some to the point of extinction.

Other fox species do not reproduce as readily as the red fox, and are endangered in their native environments. Key among these are the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) and the African bat-eared fox. Other foxes such as fennec foxes, are not endangered.

Foxes have been successfully employed to control pests on fruit farms while leaving the fruit intact.^[9]

Relationships with humans[link]

A red fox on the porch of an Evergreen, Colorado home.

Fox attacks on humans are not common but have been reported. In November 2008, an incident in the United States was reported in which a jogger was attacked and bitten on the foot and arm by a rabid fox in Arizona.^[10] In July 2002, a 14-week-old baby was attacked in a house in Dartford, Kent, United Kingdom.^[11] In June 2010, 9-month-old twin girls were bitten on the arms and face when a fox entered their upstairs room in east London.^[12]

Fox hunting[link]

Fox hunting is an activity that originated in the United Kingdom in the 16th century. Hunting with dogs is now banned in the United Kingdom,^{[13][14][15][16]} though hunting without dogs is still permitted. It is practiced as recreation in several other countries including Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Russia and the United States.

Domestication[link]

The Russian silver fox, or domesticated silver fox, is the result of nearly fifty years of experiments in the Soviet Union and Russia to domesticate the silver morph of the red fox. Notably, the new foxes became more tame, allowing themselves to be petted, whimpering to get attention and sniffing and licking their caretakers.^[17] They also became more dog-like as well: they lost their distinctive musky "fox smell", became more friendly with humans, put their ears down (like dogs), wagged their tails when happy and began to vocalize and bark like domesticated dogs. They also began to exhibit other traits seen in some dog breeds, such as color pattern, curled tails, floppy ears, and shorter legs and tails.^[17] They are also more likely to have piebald coats. The breeding project was set up by the Soviet scientist Dmitri K. Belyaev.

In culture[link]

In many cultures, the fox appears in folklore as a symbol of cunning and trickery, or as a familiar animal possessed of magic powers.

In some countries, foxes are major predators of rabbits and hens. Population oscillations of these two species were the first nonlinear oscillation studied, and led to the now-famous Lotka-Volterra equation.

References[link]