Editing Swift fox

{{short description|Species of mammal}}
{{Good article}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Swift fox<ref name=msw3/>
| image = Swift Fox Colorado Wolf and Wildlife cropped.jpg
| image_caption = Swift fox at Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Rescue Center
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Moehrenschlager, A. |author2=Sovada, M. |date=2016 |title=''Vulpes velox'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T23059A57629306 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T23059A57629306.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Vulpes
| species = velox
| authority = ([[Thomas Say|Say]], 1823)
| synonyms =
*''Vulpes velox hebes'' Merriam, 1902
| range_map = Vulpes velox map.svg
| range_map_caption = Swift fox range
}}

The '''swift fox''' ('''''Vulpes velox''''') is a small light orange-tan [[fox]] around the size of a [[domestic cat]] found in the western grasslands of [[North America]], such as [[Montana]], [[Colorado]], [[New Mexico]], [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Caire |first=William |url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsofoklahom0000unse |title=The Mammals of Oklahoma |publisher=The University of Oklahoma Press |year=1989 |isbn=978-0806122175 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/mammalsofoklahom0000unse/page/30 30], [https://archive.org/details/mammalsofoklahom0000unse/page/288 288]–291 |url-access=limited}}</ref>  and [[Texas]].<ref name="msw3">{{MSW3 Wozencraft|id = 14000891}}</ref> It also lives in southern [[Manitoba]], [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Alberta]] in [[Canada]], where it was previously [[Local extinction|extirpated]].<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> It is closely related to the [[kit fox]] (''V. macrotis'') and some mammalogists classify them as [[conspecific]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dragoo |first1=Jerry W. |last2=Choate |first2=Jerry R. |last3=Yates |first3=Terry L. |last4=O'Farrell |first4=Thomas P. |title=Evolutionary and Taxonomic Relationships among North American Arid-Land Foxes |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |date=August 28, 1990 |volume=71 |issue=3 |pages=318–332|doi=10.2307/1381942 |jstor=1381942 |url=https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/71/3/318/847127 |access-date=22 December 2021|url-access=subscription }}</ref> However, molecular systematics imply that the two species are distinct.<ref name="MercureRalls1993">{{cite journal|last1=Mercure|first1=Alan|last2=Ralls|first2=Katherine|last3=Koepfli|first3=Klaus P.|last4=Wayne|first4=Robert K.|title=Genetic Subdivisions among Small Canids: Mitochondrial DNA Differentiation of Swift, Kit, and Arctic Foxes|journal=Evolution|volume=47|issue=5|year=1993|pages=1313–1328|doi=10.2307/2410150 |pmid=28564903|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271806502|jstor=2410150}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Sheldon1992">{{cite book |last1=Sheldon |first1=Jennifer W. |title=Wild dogs: the natural history of the non-domestic Canidae |date=1992 |publisher=Academic Press |location=San Diego |isbn=9781483263694 |pages=176–182}}</ref>

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.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />

Like most canids, the swift fox is an [[omnivore]], and its diet includes grasses and [[fruit]]s as well as small mammals, [[carrion]], and insects. In the wild, its lifespan is 3 to 6 years, and it breeds once annually, from late December to March, depending on the geographic region. Pups are born anywhere from March to mid-May, and are weaned at six to seven weeks old.

==Description==
[[File:Catalogue North American mammals with drawings and proof of plates (Vulpes velox skull).jpg|thumb|left|Skull]]
The swift fox has a dark, grayish, tan coloration that extends to a yellowish tan color across its sides and legs. The throat, chest, and belly range from pale yellow to white in color. Its tail is black-tipped, and it has black patches on its muzzle. Its ears are noticeably large, like those of the [[kit fox]], although slightly farther apart than on the head of the latter. It is about 12&nbsp;inches (30&nbsp;cm) in height, and 31&nbsp;inches (79&nbsp;cm) long, measuring from the head to the tip of the tail, or about the size of a domestic cat. Its weight ranges from around five to seven pounds.<ref name="DoW">{{cite web|url=http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/swift_fox.php|title=Swift fox – Defenders of Wildlife|author=Defenders of Wildlife|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070804235808/https://defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/swift_fox.php|archive-date=2007-08-04|access-date=2008-04-21}}</ref> Males and females are similar in appearance, although males are slightly larger.<ref name="ADW">{{cite web|url = https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vulpes_velox/ |author=Resmer, Karen|title=Vulpes velox|website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] |access-date=2008-04-17}}</ref>

==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.<ref name="ADW"/> It is native to the [[Great Plains]] region of North America, and its range extends north to the southern [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]], Canada, and south to [[Texas]]. It reaches from western [[Iowa]] to [[Colorado]], [[Kansas]], [[Wyoming]], [[Nebraska]], and [[Montana]].<ref name="DoW"/>

==Conservation status==
The swift fox was once a severely [[endangered species]], due to predator control programs in the 1930s that were aimed mostly at the [[Wolf|gray wolf]] and the [[coyote]].<ref name="ADW"/> The species was [[Local extinction|extirpated]] from Canada by 1938,<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> but a reintroduction program started in 1983<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Accomplishments |publisher=Cochrane Ecological Institute captive breeding and reintroduction program in Canada |url=https://www.cochraneresearchinstitute.org/history-of-accomplishments.html |access-date=2016-07-03 |archive-date=2017-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117002704/https://www.cochraneresearchinstitute.org/history-of-accomplishments.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name="ADW"/> Nonetheless, by 1996, 540 foxes had been released around the Alberta-Saskatchewan border and [[Milk River Ridge]] areas, parts of the species' original native range.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/wild-species/mammals/wild-dogs/swift-fox.aspx|title=Swift Fox|website=Alberta Environment and Parks|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926004709/http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/wild-species/mammals/wild-dogs/swift-fox.aspx|archive-date=2018-09-26|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wildlifepreservation.ca/swift-fox/|title=Swift Fox Recovery and Translocations – Wildlife Preservation Canada|website=wildlifepreservation.ca|access-date=2018-01-24|archive-date=2021-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118100603/https://wildlifepreservation.ca/swift-fox/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web| title = Species at risk – Swift fox| publisher = Species at Risk Public Registry| date = 2008-04-25| url = http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=140| access-date = March 16, 2009| archive-date = 2013-06-10| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130610231432/http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=140| url-status = dead}}</ref> A small, but stable and growing population continues to live freely in the southeastern regions of Alberta, and southwestern regions of Saskatchewan.<ref name=":0"/> Canada's national recovery strategy plan was revised in 2008 by the National Swift Fox Recovery Team, with projections of a long-term goal by 2026, "to restore a self-sustaining swift fox population of 1,000 or more mature, reproducing foxes that does not experience greater than a 30% population reduction in any 10-year period".<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />

Exact population numbers of the swift fox are unknown, but it is known that they currently inhabit only 40% of their historic range.<ref name="DoW"/> In addition to its populations in Canada, there are also swift fox populations in the United States, ranging from [[South Dakota]] to Texas. In 1995, the [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]] determined that the fox warranted an endangered listing, but other higher priority species precluded its listing.<ref name="FWS">{{cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/southdakotafieldoffice/swift_fox_main.htm|author=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service|title=Swift fox – Main Page|access-date=18 June 2008|archive-date=16 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516030024/http://www.fws.gov/southdakotafieldoffice/swift_fox_main.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name="FWS"/> Populations in the United States are stable in the central part of its range,<ref name="ADW"/> and it is not considered endangered in the United States. The [[IUCN Red List]] characterizes it as of Least Concern.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />

==Behavior and ecology==
[[File:Vulpes velox2.jpg|thumb|right|A swift fox napping during the day in a zoo.]]

In the wild, the swift fox usually lives 3–6 years, but may live up to 14 years in captivity.<ref name=":0" /> It is primarily [[nocturnal]], spending only evenings and nighttime above ground in the summer. Daytime activities are usually confined to the den, but it has been known to spend the warm midday period above ground during the winter.<ref name="ADW"/> Due to the harsh winter conditions where the swift fox can be found, there is an increase in mortality rates.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Butler|first=Andrew|date=June 9, 2019|title=Winter movement behavior by swift foxes (''Vulpes velox'') at the northern edge of their range|journal= Canadian Journal of Zoology|volume=97|issue=10 |pages=922–929 |doi=10.1139/cjz-2018-0272 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2019CaJZ...97..922B }}</ref> The swift fox is more heavily dependent on its [[:Category:Shelters built or used by animals|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.<ref name="ADW"/> It has been known to run very fast, at speeds of over {{convert|50|km/h|-1|abbr=on}}.<ref name="ADW"/>  or up to {{convert|60|km/h|-1|abbr=on}} <ref>Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio; Hoffman, Michael; and MacDonald, David W. (2004) [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260707097_Canids_Foxes_Wolves_Jackals_and_Dogs_Status_Survey_and_Conservation_Action_Plan Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals, and Dogs: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan]. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. p. 112.</ref> 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.<ref name=alberta>{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abnature/speciesatrisk/swift_fox_intro.htm|title=Swift fox|author=Alberta Sustainable Resource Development|access-date=22 June 2008}}</ref> Other predators include the [[American badger]], [[golden eagle]], and [[bobcat]].<ref name=alberta/> It is also vulnerable to trapping and poisoning, as well as death on highways.<ref name=ns>{{cite web|url=http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/CompConvStrategy/Species/Mammals/PDFS/Swift%20Fox.pdf|title=Siwft Fox (''Vulpes velox'')|access-date=22 June 2008|archive-date=21 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721182921/http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/CompConvStrategy/Species/Mammals/PDFS/Swift%20Fox.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Reproduction===
Swift foxes are a [[social monogamy in mammalian species|socially monogamous]] species, although multiple breeding strategies have been observed.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1104&context=icwdm_usdanwrc |title=Multiple breeding strategies in the swift fox, ''Vulpes velox''|year=2006|doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.06.015|last1=Kitchen|first1=Ann M.|last2=Gese|first2=Eric M.|last3=Waits|first3=Lisette P.|last4=Karki|first4=Seija M.|last5=Schauster|first5=Edward R.|journal=Animal Behaviour|volume=71|issue=5|pages=1029–1038|s2cid=20780520|url-access=subscription}}</ref> 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.<ref name="DoW"/><ref name="ADW"/>

The swift fox only has one litter annually, but may occupy up to thirteen dens in one year, moving because prey is scarce or because skin [[parasite]]s build up inside the den. Sometimes it makes other burrows from other bigger animals, even though it is completely capable of digging one on its own. Pups are born in the den and typically remain there for approximately one month. A newborn pup's eyes and ears remain closed for ten to fifteen days, leaving it dependent on the mother for food and protection during this time. It is usually weaned around six or seven weeks old and remains with its parents until fall.<ref name="ADW"/> Recent research has shown that social organization in the swift fox is unusual among canids, since it is based on the females.<ref name="AB">{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.08.012 |author1=Kamler, Jan F |author2=Ballard, Warren B. |author3=Gese, Eric M. |author4=Harrison, Robert L. |author5=Karki, Seija |author6=Mote, Kevin |title=Adult male emigration and a female-based social organization in swift foxes, ''Vulpes velox''|journal=Animal Behaviour |volume =67|issue =4|year=2004|pages =699–702 |s2cid=41400769 |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1111&context=icwdm_usdanwrc |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Females maintain [[territory (animal)|territories]] at all times, but males emigrate if the resident female is killed or removed.<ref name="AB"/>

===Diet===
Like most foxes, the swift fox is an [[omnivore]]. [[Rabbit]]s, [[mouse|mice]], [[ground squirrel]]s, [[birds]], [[insect]]s, other [[arthropod]]s, [[lizard]]s, [[amphibian]]s, [[fish]] and [[egg]]s are staples.<ref name="DoW"/><ref name="ADW"/> [[Grass]]es and [[fruit]]s round out its diet.<ref name="ADW"/> However, like any efficient forager, the swift fox takes advantage of seasonal foods.<ref name="ADW"/> During the summer, adults eat large amounts of insects, including [[beetle]]s and [[grasshopper]]s, and feed their young with larger prey items.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} [[Deer]] and other carrion killed by other animals may also be important food sources.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Vulpes velox|<br/>Vulpes velox<br/>(Swift foxes)}}
{{Wikispecies|Vulpes velox}}
* [http://www.nfb.ca/film/Return_of_the_Swift_Fox/ Watch the documentary ''Return of the Swift Fox''] and featuring [[Miles and Beryl Smeeton|Miles Smeeton]] at 11 mins 50 sec.
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/science/rarest-native-animals-find-haven-on-tribal-lands.html Moving Back Home Together: Rarest Native Animals Find Haven on Tribal Lands]

{{Carnivora|Ca.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q263706}}

[[Category:Fauna of the Great Plains]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Plains-Midwest (United States)]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1823|swift fox]]
[[Category:Mammals of Canada]]
[[Category:Mammals of the United States]]
[[Category:Vulpes|swift fox]]