Kit fox

Scientific name: Vulpes macrotis

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Kit foxes are the smallest canid in North America, with notably large ears relative to head size, a slender build, and a black-tipped tail. Coat color ranges from pale gray to tawny, with white undersides and black patches along the spine and legs.

Size and weight

Adults typically weigh 1.6–2.5 kg, with males slightly larger than females. Body length ranges 38–50 cm, plus a 30–40 cm tail.

Habitat

Kit foxes inhabit arid and semi-arid regions including desert scrubland, grasslands, and open shrublands. They prefer areas with sandy or gravelly soils suitable for denning, typically at elevations from sea level to 1,500 m.

Distribution

Kit foxes range across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, with populations concentrated in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts and surrounding arid valleys.

Diet

Kit foxes are primarily carnivorous, feeding on small mammals (kangaroo rats, mice, ground squirrels), insects, and occasionally birds; diet shifts seasonally toward invertebrates in summer.

Behaviour

Kit foxes are nocturnal and crepuscular, most active at dusk and dawn. They are solitary or live in mated pairs; they move with quick, darting patterns and often use established trails.

Hunting tips

Look for small, narrow tracks (2–3 cm wide) in sand and soil, and small dark scat often containing fur and insect remains near den entrances or along ridgelines. Hunt near dawn or dusk in open terrain, moving slowly into the wind to detect their scent; use binoculars to scan scrubland edges and wash banks where they hunt rodents. Approach from downwind and avoid silhouetting on ridges.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.