The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is a small light orange-tan fox around the size of a domestic cat found in the western Great Plains grasslands of North America, such as Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It also lives in southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada, where it was previously extirpated. However, molecular systematics imply that the two species are distinct. Interbreeding between the two species does occur where their ranges overlap (eastern New Mexico and western Texas), but this hybridization is quite restricted in scope.
The swift fox lives primarily in short-grass prairies and deserts. It became nearly extinct in the 1930s as a result of predator control programs, but was successfully reintroduced later. Currently, the conservation status of the species is considered by the IUCN as Least Concern owing to stable populations elsewhere. Males and females are similar in appearance, although males are slightly larger.
Distribution and habitat
The swift fox lives in short-grass prairies and western grassland. They form their dens in sandy soil on open prairies, in plowed fields, or along fences. has been successful in establishing small populations in southeast Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan, despite the fact that many reintroduced individuals do not survive their first year. Four years later, those introduced foxes had tripled in number, making the program one of the most successful endangered species reintroduction programs in the world. In May 1999, the Species at Risk Act listed the swift fox as an endangered species in Canada, giving the species further protection for growth. A small, but stable and growing population continues to live freely in the southeastern regions of Alberta, and southwestern regions of Saskatchewan. This prompted state wildlife agencies within the fox's range to create the Swift Fox Conservation Team, which worked to implement better swift fox management and monitoring programs. The swift fox is more heavily dependent on its den than most North American canids, using them as shelter from predators. These dens are usually burrows that are two to four meters in length. The coyote is the swift fox's main predator, but at times chooses not to consume the swift fox, killing it more often as competition than as prey. Other predators include the American badger, golden eagle, and bobcat.
Reproduction
Swift foxes are a socially monogamous species, although multiple breeding strategies have been observed. The adult swift fox's breeding season varies with region. In the southern United States, it mates between December and February with pups born in March and early April, while in Canada, the breeding season begins in March, and pups are born in mid-May. The male swift fox matures and may mate at one year, while the female usually waits until her second year before breeding. Adults live in pairs, and although some individuals mate for life, others choose different partners each year. Gestation takes around 51 days, and four to five kits are born. Females maintain territories at all times, but males emigrate if the resident female is killed or removed.