Vulpes macrotis
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is a fox species that inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of the Southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. These foxes are the smallest of the four species of Vulpes occurring in North America and are among the smallest of the vulpines worldwide. It has also been called a North American counterpart of the fennec fox due to its large ears.
Some mammalogists classify it as conspecific with the swift fox, V. velox, but molecular systematics indicate that the two species are distinct. Interbreeding between the two species does occur where their ranges overlap (eastern New Mexico and western Texas), but this hybridization is quite restricted in scope.
Subspecific designations for the species are not fully addressed. As many as eight subspecies have been recognized, although further analyses have not found support for any subspecies differentiation. However, although there is a clear need for more subspecific clarification, most available data suggest that kit foxes in the San Joaquin Valley of California are likely to warrant a subspecific designation, V. m. mutica, due to geographical isolation, and that any other kit foxes... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Living Desert Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | California Living Museum | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Big Bear Alpine Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Orange County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Kit Fox sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 15 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Kit Fox in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, June, August and November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Kit Fox sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Kit Fox sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Death Valley National Park (United States, about 30%).
Same family: Canidae
The closest relatives of the Kit Fox that you can see in Joshua Tree National Park (family Canidae, Canids) are Coyote (about 30%) and Gray Fox (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Kit Fox is recorded against all the mammals logged in Joshua Tree National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
