Fox, Swift

Physical Features

The Swift Fox is a small fox similar in size to a domestic house cat. It gets its name 'swift' owing to its speedy nature. Swift Foxes have a dark grayish tan colored coat that extends to a yellow-tan color across their sides and legs. Their throat, chest and belly have a pale yellow to white color. Their tails are black-tipped and they have black patches on their muzzles with exceptionally large ears. The Swift Fox is about 12 inches (30 cm) in height, and 31 inches (79 cm) long from head to tail. They weigh between 5-7 pounds/2.3-3.2kgs. The males and females are similar in appearance, although males are slightly larger. The Swift Fox is closely related to the Kit Fox and hybrids of the two species occur naturally where their ranges overlap.

Habitat

The Swift Fox is found mainly in deserts and short-grass prairies. It is native to the Great Plains region of North America. They are also found in fragmented and smaller populations in portions of Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.

Diet

The Swift Fox is an omnivore, and its diet includes grasses and fruits as well as small mammals, carrion, and insects. Their food includes rabbits, prairie dogs, ground squirrels, mice, birds, reptiles, amphibians, berries and seeds. Swift Foxes are known to be opportunistic predators and eat whatever is available.

Meat

Swift Fox meat is very lean, similar to that of lamb and has its own aroma.

Behavior

Swift Foxes are nocturnal animals that don't have defined territories. They spend most of their time underground in their burrows and can only be found above ground at night. Daytime activities are usually confined to their den, but during winter they have been known to spend the warm midday period above ground. Swift Fox are known to run very fast and can attain speeds of over 50 km/h (30 mph). They are social animals and live in pairs, and although some individuals mate for life, others may select different partners each year. Their gestation period takes around 51 days following which four to five kits are born. Kits are born anytime from March to mid-May, and are weaned at six to seven weeks of age. The life span of Swift Foxes in the wild is eight to ten years. The Coyote is the Swift Fox's main predator while other predators include the Badger, Golden Eagle, and the Bobcat. It is also vulnerable to human traps and poisons, as well as death on the highways.

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