The kit fox, Vulpes macrotis, is a small grayish-buff fox that lives in the deserts of the southern United States and northern Mexico. It was once considered to be conspecific with the swift fox, Vulpes velox, but more recent research shows that it is clearly a different species. The kit fox strongly resembles the gray fox, but is smaller and lacks the tail stripe of the gray fox.
The kit fox is a nocturnal predator that preys chiefly on rabbits, mice, rats, snakes and small birds. They compete with gray and red foxes, bobcats, hawks and eagles, but are rarely preyed upon. The main threat to the kit fox is habitat destruction, though they are less averse to human habitation than most other foxes.
There are a few distinctive populations of the kit fox, including the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, but none of these are considered true subspecies. Overall, however, the kit fox population is stable and fairly secure.