Swift Fox
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Once it roamed the wide open range of Central North America.
As the farm belt expanded, the range of the Swift Fox (Vulpes velox) eventually narrowed. Today, the open spaces along the eastern spine of the Rocky Mountains support the Swift Fox's most stable populations.
While they became extinct in Canada during the late 1920s, they were reintroduced during the 1980s, and the continue to receive both Federal and Provincial protection.
The picture shows a close up of the fox's face and its light brown fur, which can also take on a red or orange hue.
The picture does not capture the animal's diminutive size. It is recognized as North America's smallest canidid.
Like most, if not all Vulpes species, the Swift Fox prefers a night time life style. Darkness allows it more flexibility to hunt for food, while protecting itself from potential predators such as the larger wild cat and dog species in its territory, such as coyotes and bobcats.
Also like other Vulpes species, it's not unusual to occasionally see an adult sunning itself during the day.
The prefer a carnivorous diet, consisting of local small animals, birds, insects and reptiles. However, in a pinch, native berries and grasses serve as additional food sources.
© 2011 Patricia A. Michaels