Editing Kit fox (section)

==Appearance==
The kit fox is one of the smallest species of the family [[Canidae]] found in North America. This species exhibits little [[sexual dimorphism]], with the male being slightly larger. The average species weight is between {{convert|1.6|and|2.7|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. The body length is {{convert|455|to|535|mm|in|abbr=on}}, with a long tail (about 40% of total length), adding another {{convert|260|–|323|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Sillero-Zubiri2004">{{Cite book |publisher=Oxford University Press Oxford |isbn=0-19-851556-1 |last1=Sillero-Zubiri |first1=Claudi |last2=Macdonald |first2=David Whyte |title=The biology and conservation of wild canids |date=2004 |location=New York }}</ref> It has large ears, between {{convert|71|and|95|mm|in|abbr=on}}, that help the fox dissipate heat and give it exceptional hearing (much like those of the [[fennec fox]]). 

The color and texture of the coat vary geographically. In general, the dorsal color is grizzled or yellowish-gray. The grizzled appearance is the result of guard hairs that are typically black-tipped or with two black bands separated by a white band. The guard hairs are less than {{convert|50|mm}} long, and particularly prominent in the middle of the back. The soles of the legs are protected by stiff tufts of hair, a trait that improves traction on loose sandy surfaces as well as protection against extreme temperatures; muzzles and vibrissae are generally black to brown. The tail is bushy and gray, with a black tip,<ref name="ADW"/> and the caudal gland has a pronounced black spot.<ref name="McGrew1979">{{cite journal |last1=McGrew |first1=John C. |title=Vulpes macrotis |journal=Mammalian Species |date=8 June 1979 |issue=123 |pages=1–6 |doi=10.2307/3504038 |jstor=3504038 |s2cid=253961802 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Unlike the [[gray fox]], it has no stripe along the length of its tail. Its color ranges from yellow to gray, and the back is usually darker than the majority of its coat; its belly and inner ears are usually lighter. It has distinct dark patches around the nose.<ref name="ADW"/> The ears are tan or gray on the back, turning to buff or orange at the base. The shoulders, the lower sides, the flanks, and the strip about 25 mm wide across the chest range in color from buffy to orange.<ref name="McGrew1979"/>