The San Joaquin kit fox lives in the desert and grasslands of California’s San Joaquin Valley. They prefer areas with minimal shrubs and grasses.

The San Joaquin kit fox historically roamed throughout much of the San Joaquin Valley in California, from San Joaquin County in the north to Kern County in the south. By 1930, kit fox range had been reduced by more than half, with the largest portion of the range remaining in the southern and western parts of the valley.

The kit fox’s range in the San Joaquin Valley extends from southern Kern County north to Contra Costa, Alameda, and San Joaquin counties on the western side of the valley; and to the La Grange area of Stanislaus County on the eastern side of the valley. The kit fox’s range also includes valleys along the Coast Range including the Panoche and Cuyama valleys and the Carrizo Plain in San Luis Obispo County.

The San Joaquin kit fox is an opportunistic hunter. Its primary food is kangaroo rats, but it also actively hunts white-footed mice, pocket mice, ground squirrels, rabbits and ground-nesting birds. During certain times of the year, kit foxes will also eat insects.

The San Joaquin kit fox is nocturnal, hunting at night and resting most of the day in their dens. The dens help the fox escape the desert heat and provide shelter and cover from predators. Kit foxes either dig their own dens, use those constructed by other animals, or use human-made structures such as culverts, abandoned pipelines, or banks in sumps or roadbeds.

The San Joaquin kit fox is small, tan fox with a bushy, black-tipped tail. The fox only weighs about 5 pounds when full grown. It has a narrow nose and a small, slim body. The foot pads of kit foxes are small by comparison with other canids.

The fox is specially adapted for its desert habitat. Its large, close-set ears help dissipate heat, keeping it cool in the hot desert.

Size:

• Height: 12 inches (30 cm) tall at the shoulder

• Weight: Males weigh approximately 5 pounds (2.3 kiligrams); Females weigh approximately 4.6 pounds (2.1 kilograms)

Kit foxes start breeding when they’re 1 year old. In the fall, females begin to clean and enlarge their pupping dens. The foxes mate between December and March. Females give birth to two to six pups in February or March. Pups stay inside the den for the first month of their lives. Both males and females care for the pups, and adult pairs stay together for the entire year.

The San Joaquin kit fox lives to be about 7 years old.