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Species authority page

Swift fox

Vulpes velox · Furbearers

Swift fox (Vulpes velox): Small fox with a black-tipped tail and black patches on either side of the snout. Winter coat dark buffy gray above, orange-tan on sides, legs and underside of tail; summer coat shorter and more reddish. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the swift fox map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Swift fox standing on bare ground
Adobe Stock · Free asset, Standard License (asset 498363545)
Scientific name
Vulpes velox
Family
Canidae
In North America
Native
Range
Historically the central plains from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan to northern Texas, including southern Manitoba; present range is much restricted, nearly continuous from Wyoming south through eastern Colorado, western Kansas, the Oklahoma Panhandle and eastern New Mexico.
Biology

How to identify it

Small fox with a black-tipped tail and black patches on either side of the snout. [1][2]

Winter coat dark buffy gray above, orange-tan on sides, legs and underside of tail; summer coat shorter and more reddish. [1][2]

Throat, chest, belly and inside of ears creamy white. [1][2]

Head-body 38-53 cm, tail 23-35 cm, 1.8-3.0 kg. [1][2]

Differs from kit fox in smaller ears, broader snout and shorter tail. [1][2]

Compared with the kit fox: Larger ears, narrower snout, longer tail; more arid southwestern range. [1][2]

Species it is confused with

Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.

Field notes

  • Identification Confirm a swift fox before you act. Compared with the kit fox: Larger ears, narrower snout, longer tail; more arid southwestern range.[1][2]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Open prairie and arid plains, mainly shortgrass prairie; often digs dens in sandy soil, along fences or in plowed fields. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Primarily nocturnal; may rest in the sun outside the burrow by day [1][2]

Dens in burrows it digs or takes over from other mammals [1][2]

Opportunistic diet: jackrabbits, cottontails, ground squirrels, mice, birds, invertebrates, grasses, berries; caches food under snow in winter [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Historically the central plains from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan to northern Texas, including southern Manitoba; present range is much restricted, nearly continuous from Wyoming south through eastern Colorado, western Kansas, the Oklahoma Panhandle and eastern New Mexico.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30

    University of Michigan Museum of Zoology