Life History
San Joaquin Kit Foxes are nocturnal creatures, and do not hibernate nor go into torpor. However, they can be seen during the day in the spring and summer. Kit foxes reach maturity and start mating after age one. Once mates are found, females prepare dens for their families in the months of September to October. Pairs would then mate between December and March, and pups are born after 48 to 52 days. There is an average of three to five pups per litter. Males and females would stay together and take care of their young. While the females care for the young, the males would provide food. Once the pups are one month old, they would leave their dens while their parents stay together. However, there are some cases when the pups would stay longer until 4 to 5 months. Pups would rarely stay behind to help raise the next year’s litter. Despite this simple life history, the kit foxes’ reproductive rate is not always successful. Their success rate depends on the amount of food available. Furthermore, on average, kit foxes live up to 7 years old.
Sources:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/San_Joaquin_kit_fox/natural_history.html
https://sites.google.com/site/sanjoaquinkitfoxto2015/life-cycle
https://sites.google.com/site/kitfoxcp2014/life-cycle
https://sites.google.com/site/sanjoaquinkitfoxlg6/life-cycle
https://www.pinterest.com/momantbev/foxes/
http://calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?article=ca.v067n02p86
http://www.conservationinstitute.org/conservation-of-san-joaquin-kit-fox-vulpes-macrotis-mutica/
http://www.defenders.org/san-joaquin-kit-fox/basic-facts
http://esrp.csustan.edu/speciesprofiles/profile.php?sp=vuma
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-08/documents/san- joaquin-kitfox.pdf
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/San_Joaquin_kit_fox/natural_history.html
https://sites.google.com/site/sanjoaquinkitfoxto2015/life-cycle
https://sites.google.com/site/kitfoxcp2014/life-cycle
https://sites.google.com/site/sanjoaquinkitfoxlg6/life-cycle
https://www.pinterest.com/momantbev/foxes/
http://calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?article=ca.v067n02p86
http://www.conservationinstitute.org/conservation-of-san-joaquin-kit-fox-vulpes-macrotis-mutica/
http://www.defenders.org/san-joaquin-kit-fox/basic-facts
http://esrp.csustan.edu/speciesprofiles/profile.php?sp=vuma
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-08/documents/san- joaquin-kitfox.pdf