From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is a fox species of . Its range is primarily in the
and northern and central . Some mammalogists classify it as conspecific with the , V. velox, but
imply that the two species are distinct.
The northernmost part of its range is the arid interior of Oregon. Its eastern limit is southwestern Colorado. It can be found south through Nevada, Utah, southeastern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and into western Texas.
San Joaquin kit fox at the California Living Museum in Bakersfield
San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) was formerly very common in the
and through much of . Its 1990 population was estimated to be 7,000. This subspecies is still endangered, after nearly 50 years of being on the Endangered Species List. Officially this subspecies was listed March 3, 1967. On September 26, 2007, Wildlands Inc. announced the designation of the 684-acre (2.77 km2) Deadman Creek Conservation Bank, which is intended specifically to protect habitat of the San Joaquin kit fox. However, the population continues to decline mostly due to heavy habitat loss. Other factors include competition from , and the extermination of the
from California has left the
as the dominant meso-predator in kit fox territory bringing an imbalance in ecosystem relationships.
The Southern California kit fox (V. m. macrotis) was a population of kit foxes native to desert regions of
which became
The desert kit fox (V. m. arsipus) lives in the .
The kit fox is the smallest species of the family
found in North America (except for specially bred domestic dog breeds like teacup Yorkshire.) It has large ears, between 71 and 95 mm (2.8 and 3.7 in), that help the fox lower its body temperature and give it exceptional hearing (much like those of the ). This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the male being slightly larger. The average species weight is between 1.6 and 2.7 kg (3.5 and 6.0 lb). The body length is 455 to 535 mm (17.9 to 21.1 in). The tail adds another 250–340 mm (9.8–13.4 in) to its length.
It usually has a gray coat, with rusty tones, and a black tip to its tail. Unlike the , it has no stripe along the length of its tail. Its color ranges from yellowish to gray, and the back is usually darker than the
its belly and inner ears are usually lighter. It has distinct dark patches around the nose.
The kit fox is mostly a
animal, but sometimes ventures out of its den during the day. It usually goes out to hunt shortly after sunset, mostly eating small animals such as , ,
(Lepus californicus), meadow voles, , , insects, lizards, snakes, fish, and ground-dwelling birds. It will
. While primarily , if food is scarce, it has been known to eat
(Lycopersicon esculentum), cactus fruits (Carnegiea gigantea) and other fruits. Different kit fox families can occupy the same hunting grounds, but do not generally go hunting at the same time.
Kit foxes favor arid climates, such as , , and . Good examples of common habitats are
Artemisia tridentata and
Atriplex polycarpa. They can be found in urban and agricultural areas, too. They are found at elevations of 400 to 1,900 meters (1,300 to 6,200 ft) above sea level.
The kit fox is a
species. Male and female kit foxes usually establish
mating pairs during October and November.
mating relationships have been observed. Pairs can change year to year. They mate from December to February, when they use larger family dens.[] Litters are born throughout March and April, usually containing one to seven pups, and average four pups. The gestation is 49 to 55 days. Pups do not leave the den until they are four weeks old. They are weaned after about eight weeks and become independent at five to six months old. They become
at 10 months. Both parents take part in raising and protecting their young. The average lifespan of a wild kit fox is 5.5 years. In captivity, they can live 12 years[]. One California study of 144 kit fox pups showed a 74% mortality rate in pups within the first year.
Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). . In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M.
(3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628.  .  .
IUCN SCC Canid Specialist Group (North America Regional Section) (2008). .
Version 2008.
2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
Mercure, A Ralls, K Koepfli, Klaus P.; Wayne, Robert K. (1993).
(PDF). Evolution. 47 (5): 1313. :.  .
. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu (). Retrieved on .
, Environmental News Network, September 27, 2007
. Digital Desert.
Ralls, Katherine, Brian Cypher, and Linda K. Spiegel. "." Journal of Mammalogy 88.6 (2007): .
"Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis): A Technical Conservation Assessment", 2006
Wikimedia Commons has media related to .
: Hidden categories:either of two small gray foxes, Vulpes macrotis and V. velox, found on plains and in open, sandy areas of western North America, commercially valuable for their fur.
, A probably special use of 3
UnabridgedBased on the Random House Dictionary, (C) Random House, Inc. 2017.
Examples from the Web for
Historical Examples
Little, dried-up geezer with a nose like a kit-fox's and a whine to his voice.
B. M. Bower
British Dictionary definitions for
another name for
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition (C) William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.
(C) HarperCollinsPublishers , , ,
Word Origin and History for
1812, perhaps from a shortening of , in reference to smallness.
Online Etymology Dictionary, (C) 2010 Douglas Harper
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Nearby words for kit-fox
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kit的中文意思
沪江词库精选kit是什么意思、英语单词推荐、用法及解释、中英文句子翻译、英语短语
a case for containing a set of articles
supply with a set of articles or tools
young of any of various fur-bearing animals
gear consisting of a set of articles or tools for a specified purpose
A short,comic vaudeville skit that ends with lights off.
熄灯结束以灯光熄灭而结束的一场滑稽杂耍短剧。
A blown off kite
Tie the corners of the handkerchief to the points of the cross, and you will have a nice strong kite.
把手绢的四角与十字架端头绑牢，这样你就可以做成一个很好，很结实的风筝了。
A long tailed kite
We've even got them in the kitchen at the hostel.
我们宿舍连厨房都有。
A year after the kitty experience, I looked outside onto the deck and saw jake with his ears up and his head cocked sideways, staring at the ground
在那次小猫事件一年后，我往外朝露天平台上看，只见杰克正竖着耳朵，歪着脑袋，凝视着地面。
New Hello Kitty products will reflect the growth in pet ownership in Japan, with Kitty getting her own hamster.
在新一代Hello Kitty的产品中,Kitty也有了自己的仓鼠,这反映出了日本养宠物的人日益增多。
Something improvised, especially a dramatic skit.
即兴作品即兴而作的东西，尤指戏剧小品。
No, he's neither kith nor kin to me
不是，他和我非亲非眷。
Range (or cooker) smoke exhauster(orventilator); (cooking) kitchen exhauster(or ventilator) extractor
脱排油烟机
phr. 全部一起
phr. 所有的人
phr. 鸢式气球
phr. 针线包，裁缝用具
phr. 英国陆军元帅基钦纳
phr. 猫砂；猫窝
n. 一个非常勇猛的战斗者
n. (= Herbert Kitchener) 赫伯特·基奇纳
phr. 圣基茨和尼维斯联邦
phr. 小狐，小狐毛皮
n. 1.易惊;难以驾驭
2.活泼好动
[ kittle ]的过去式
[ kittenish ]的相关副词
[ kittenish ]的相关名词
[ kitten ]的第三人称单数
基特韦[赞比亚中北部城市]
n.吉士巴语(由刚果语,凌加拉语和法语组合而成)
n.[姓氏] 基特里奇
(=Cythera) n.基西拉岛(位于希腊南部)
北九州(市)[日本九州岛北岸港市]
[ snick ]的过去式
[ plutocracy ]的相关副词;[ plutocrat ]的相关副词;[ plutocratic ]的相关副词;[ plutocratical ]的相关副词
four thousand one hundred and forty two
seven thousand one hundred and forty two
[ mallard ]的复数形式
two thousand and one
[ rewire ]的第三人称单数;[ rewiring ]的第三人称单数