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Photo by Randall Thacker
Photo Copyright Randall Thacker
Kit Fox
Vulpes macrotis
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G4
State (S-rank): S3
External links
Species range
The kit fox, a desert carnivore, inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of western North America, ranging from southern Oregon and Idaho, south to California, east to Colorado and Texas, and into northern and central Mexico (McGrew 1979, Meaney et al. 2006, NatureServe 2018). In Utah, it is found in desert regions including the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and Mojave Desert (McGrew 1977, Meaney et al. 2006, Richards 2017).
Ecology
In Utah, kit foxes are found in desert soils with shrub vegetation (e.g., shadscale, saltbush, sagebrush, greasewood), at low elevations (<5500 ft.), and in areas with mild winters (McGrew 1977). They prefer flat areas for visibility (Daneke et al. 1984, Richards 2017) and utilize fine, silty soils for dens (McGrew 1977, Egoscue 1962, Richards 2017). Kit foxes obtain moisture from their prey, which includes insects, nocturnal rodents like kangaroo rats, and lagomorphs, eliminating the need for free water sources (McGrew 1977, McGrew 1979, Arjo et al. 2007, Kozlowski et al. 2012).
Threats or limiting factors
Major threats to kit foxes in Utah include habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation (Meaney et al. 2006). Cheatgrass invasion degrades habitat by displacing native plants, increasing fire frequency, and reducing prey. Prolonged drought negatively impacts vegetation, fire regimes, and prey availability. Maintaining landscape connectivity is crucial to prevent genetic diversity loss and accelerated population decline (Lonsinger et al. 2018b). Coyote predation is a significant direct mortality source and causes behavioral changes in kit foxes, forcing them into suboptimal hunting areas to avoid coyotes (Kozlowski et al. 2008, Kozlowski et al. 2012, Lonsinger et al. 2017). While coyotes rely on free water, increased developed water use in Utah deserts does not appear to negatively affect kit foxes through coyote displacement (Hall et al. 2013).
