Swift Foxes

The swift fox gets its name from early American settlers who were taken by its speed. As the country was settled, the swift fox’s numbers took a tailspin.

Swift Foxes Enjoy Enrichment

PERCENT OF HISTORIC RANGE

Swift foxes born at the EWC

Meet Our Swift Foxes

Considered the smallest of North America’s wild canids, weighing in between 4-8 pounds, the swift fox is smaller than the average house cat. Due to the Swift Fox Conservation Team efforts in swift fox monitoring, management and research, as well as reintroductions in Canada and parts of the United States, the little foxes are beginning to make a comeback. 

Ash & Carrie's Fox Family

Get to know our two resident swift foxes.

Adopt Our Swift Fox Family

Wild About Swift Foxes

Meet This Pint-Sized Predator of the Prairie

"In the United States, the swift fox returned to over 40 percent of its historic range. In 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the species from consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act. This little fox’s recovery continues to be a unique collaborative effort and a tremendous success story."
— Tracy Rein, Endangered Wolf Center Conservation Assistant and Registrar

Where do swift foxes live?

The species once had an enormous range, stretching from central Alberta, Canada, south to west-central Texas.

By 1978, the species was completely gone in Canada, and just over a decade later, it had lost 90% of its former range in the United States, living primarily in prairies.

Is the swift fox endangered?

Once gone from over 80% of their historic range, monitoring, management programs, and reintroductions are helping the species recover.

What do swift foxes eat?

Swift foxes are omnivores, meaning they eat a mix of meat and veggies, including small rodents, birds, prairie dogs, prairie fruits, vegetation and insects.

If you catch them napping, the night’s hunt must have been a good one. Especially in the wild, the swift fox is more of a night owl, hunting their prey from dusk to dawn.

How big is a swift fox?

The swift fox is the smallest among its wolf, fox and coyote cousins in North America, standing about a foot tall and weighing around 5 pounds – about as much as a large bag of flour.

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With your annual Endangered Wolf Center membership, you can see Ash and Carrie's antics 24/7 and capture photos and video clips to show the world! Chat with other animal lovers, expand your knowledge, and see what our animals do when our keepers aren’t around.

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Adopt a Swift Fox Family

A lot of people think animals not listed as endangered are not at risk. Awareness is a start. Your symbolic adoption of our swift fox family includes a special adoption package.

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