swift fox

mammal

Also known as: Vulpes velox, plains kit fox

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is a small mammal native to the plains of western North America. It is characterized by its large ears. As a member of the dog family (Canidae), it resembles a small, bushy-tailed dog with a pointed snout. The swift fox is classified within the genus Vulpes, which includes other "true" foxes.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

fox
Classification
velox (swift fox) Sometimes considered as two species, V. velox (swift fox) and V. macrotis (kit fox); large-eared pale foxes of the western North American plains (swift fox) and deserts (kit fox); shy and uncommon; adult length about 40–50 cm without the 20–30-cm tail, weight about…
Read More
velox (swift fox) Sometimes considered as two species, V. velox (swift fox) and V. macrotis (kit fox); large-eared pale foxes of the western North American plains (swift fox) and deserts (kit fox); shy and uncommon; adult length about 40–50 cm without the 20–30-cm tail, weight about…
Read More