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Swift Fox |
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| Description
You are visitor # Last updated 12/6/02 |
Reproduction
& Life History:
The swift fox is monestrous and usually breeds in late December or January. After a mean gestation period of 51 days, a litter of 3-6 pups are born in March or early April (Egoscue, 1979; Scott-Brown et al., 1987). The pups emerge from the natal den at approximately 1 month and continue to occupy the den throughout the summer, although their parents may move them several times (Scott-Brown et al., 1987). Dispersal of the young usually begins in August or September and continues through the fall and winter. Adult swift foxes usually live in pairs, although three adults may sometimes raise a litter (Egoscue, 1979; Scott-Brown et al., 1987). The swift fox has been described as the most subterranean of all North American canids (Egoscue, 1979), and natal dens are usually located on the more higher ground in an area. The swift fox is primarily nocturnal, and diurnal behavior is usually restricted to sunning activities around den sites (Kilgore, 1964).
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