# Swift fox (*Vulpes velox*)

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

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is a mammal in the family Canidae, within the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial, nocturnal carnivore with an adult body mass of 2.2 kg, with reported values from 2.088 to 2.4 kg. The swift fox reaches sexual maturity at 1 year, has a lifespan of 15.89 years with reported values up to 20 years, and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2.09 kg – 2.4 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 15.9 years – 20 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | desert, grassland |
| Gestation | 53.7 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 3 – 6 |
| 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 velox* (Say, 1823)

Synonyms: *Canis velox*, *Vulpes velox hebes*, *Vulpes velox velox*

## Common questions

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

The swift fox is a mammal in the family Canidae and the order Carnivora. It is terrestrial and nocturnal.

### How much does a swift fox weigh?

An adult Swift fox weighs 2.2 kg, with reported values from 2.088 to 2.4 kg.

### What does the swift fox eat?

The swift fox is a carnivore.

### Is the swift fox endangered?

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

### How long does a swift fox live?

The swift fox has a lifespan of 15.89 years, with reported values up to 20 years.

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

A swift fox has 4.44 young per litter, with reported litter sizes from 3 to 6, and 1 litter per year after a gestation period of 53.7 days.

### Who named the swift fox?

The swift fox, Vulpes velox, was named by Say in 1823.

## 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: Swift fox (Vulpes velox). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/swift-fox