The kit fox is a small mammal that lives in desert and forest areas of western North America. It has yellowish or gray fur that helps it blend into its surroundings. It digs underground dens with multiple entrances and catches small mammals, birds, and insects at night using its keen senses of smell and hearing. Kit foxes typically have 4-5 young each year and can live up to 8 years. Their scientific name is Vulpes Macrotis and they are known for their large ears, which allow them to hear sounds from far away.
2. Description
The kit
fox is very small
and has large
pointed ears. It
has yellowish
brown or gray fur.
It has black tipped
hairs. Its bushy tail
gives out a stinky
odor. The kit fox
weighs three to six
pounds. It is a
mammal and has
fur for its outsides.
It blends in with
its surroundings
because of the
color of its fur.
3. Habitat
The kit fox digs a
den under ground
about five feet down
and usually has
seven entrances. It
uses its paws to dig
out a sturdy den. It
usually lives in
forests or desert
areas. It finds many
varieties of rodents. It
lives in the western
half of the great
plains of North
America from
southwestern
Canada into Texas
and Northern Mexico.
4. Diet
My animal usually
eats kangaroo rats,
ground squirrels,
mice, jack rabbits,
lizards, birds, and
insects. It catches its
food because it has
very good hearing.
It’s nocturnal, and has
a great sense of
smell. The kit fox eats
usually every night
after dark. It has
teeth and claws
usually to attack its
animal and eat it with
its sharp teeth.
5. Life Cycle
They usually
live for 7 to 8 years
long. The kit fox
usually has four or
five cubs each
year. They have 50
days of gestation.
The babies most
of the time are in
the den with their
mother. The babies
leave their mother
in October and go
out on their
own, and are gone
when mother
comes home. The
adults only stay
mated till the cubs
leave.
6. Other Interesting
Facts
•The kit fox’s
scientific name is the
Vulpes Macrotis.
•The kit fox and the
swift fox are the
smallest foxes in
Colorado.
•The kit fox’s ears are
two times as large as
the gray fox’s.
•It can hear sand
blowing from a
distance.
•The kit fox is very
quiet and
communicates with a
soft bark and is very
hard to be seen.
