Kit fox  (Vulpes macrotis)

Biology

Kit foxes are primarily monogamous, usually mating for life (5). Mating occurs from mid-December to January, with litters containing one to seven pups, which are born in special ‘pupping dens’ from mid-February to mid-March (5) (6). Pups are weaned and emerge from dens at about four weeks, and become independent at five to six months (5) (6). Young, usually females, may delay dispersal and stay in their home ranges to help raise the next litter (5). Individuals have been recorded to live up to seven years in the wild (5).

Kit foxes are usually active at night, but occasionally exhibit crepuscular behaviour (5). Mated pairs regularly share dens throughout the year (10). Multiple dens are used, which are either self-excavated or made from modified burrows of other animals, or human-made structures, such as culverts, abandoned pipes, and banks in roadbeds (11). Mainly solitary hunters, these foxes primarily consume rodents and rabbits, although birds, amphibians, carrion and small amounts of fruit may also be eaten (5).

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