River Mountains Loop Trail

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Desert Kit Fox – kit fox

 
 
 
 

Desert Kit Fox NPS file photo

Desert Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis) – The smallest of foxes, the Desert Kit fox is about 30 inches from nose to tip of tail.  It has very large ears and is gray and buff colored with a black-tipped tail.  The bottoms of its fee are covered with fur to faciltate travel on sandy soil.  Mostly nocturnal, the fox hunts rodents, lizards, birds, and insects. (the ocasional house cat).

NOS - Desert Kit fox file photo

Habitat -Likes open desert, on cresote bush flats, and amongst sand dunes if any.  The Kit Fox is almost exclusively carnivorous.  They are will adapted to desert living seldom needing water to drink. They get most their water from the food they eat, dining mostly on the Merriam’s kangaroo rat. They also like jack rabbits and desert cottontails.  Kit foxes are active at night and stay in dens during the heat of the day.

 Note: It is rare to see one of these guys along the trail, but they are out there. The only one I have seen was a road kill, I wore his tail on my hiking hat for awhile.

 

Comments

  1. T-Jean says

    Live in East Mesa-Arizona
    I’v taken pictures of Gray tail fox with two young ones-the other night, I miss getting a picture of a desert Kit Fox by three feet. Will try again tonight. 06-24-10

  2. Carole says

    I spotted a Kit Fox yesterday at 110th and FLW, Scottsdale at 3.30am while on my way to work. It was right inside my neighbourhood. I slowed down as i drove past it and it did not appear perturbed. Very cool. first time I have seen a fox here.

  3. dolores salomon says

    I just moved up tp Sonoma (Calif.) and am amazed at the road kill i see. I often stop and move it t0 the side of the road so that nature (turkey vultures) can take its course without becoming more road kill. Yesterday it was a kit fox and I actually took it to a different location cuz I wanted to observe it more closely. I believe if it had gotten to a vet, it may not have perished. It was very pretty and like that other post, it’s the only one I’ve iever seen, and u can add a pheasant to that list. I dread the day I see a wild animal hurt, and won’t know what to do to help

  4. rmltman says

    This post seems to get a lot of Kits on search. Is there a lot of interest out there about the Kit Fox?

  5. Ray Derickson says

    I photoed three pups on Friday in Roswell, NM at 5 pm. One of them almost came up to me. We are working at a rock crusher and the mother has been out and seen several times a day. 7/6/12

  6. Judith says

    We saw at night this type of fox. Actually have seen them many times at the very same parking lot ( Oso blanca ) NW Las Vegas, NV. Next to shopping center Montecito/ Smith. Wouldn’t want to make a walk at night there.