# Kit fox (*Vulpes macrotis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/kit-fox  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis), also called the desert fox or American fennec, is a mammal of the family Canidae in the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial and nocturnal carnivore with a representative adult body mass of 4.5 kg. Gestation lasts 53.7 days, females have 1 litter per year of 4 to 5 young, and sexual maturity comes at 1 year. The IUCN Red List lists the kit fox as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.9 kg – 4.5 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 15.9 years – 20 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 53.7 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 4 – 5 |
| Age at maturity | 12 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Canidae
- genus: Vulpes
- species: *Vulpes macrotis* Merriam, 1888

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the kit fox?

The kit fox is a mammal of the family Canidae, order Carnivora. It is also called the desert fox or American fennec.

### How heavy is a kit fox?

A kit fox has a representative adult body mass of 4.5 kg, and the lowest value reported by our sources is 1.9 kg.

### What does the kit fox eat?

The kit fox is a carnivore.

### Is the kit fox endangered?

No. The kit fox is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a kit fox live?

The kit fox has a lifespan of 15.9 years, with values up to 20 years reported by our sources.

### How many young does a kit fox have?

A kit fox has 4 to 5 young per litter and 1 litter per year, after a gestation period of 53.7 days.

### Who named the kit fox?

The kit fox, Vulpes macrotis, was named by Merriam, 1888.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Kit fox (Vulpes macrotis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/kit-fox