kit fox

American  

noun

1. either of two small gray foxes, Vulpes macrotis and V. velox, found on plains and in open, sandy areas of western North America, commercially valuable for their fur.

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kit fox British  

noun

1. another name for swift fox

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Etymology

Origin of kit fox

1795–1805, probably special use of kit ³

Example Sentences

One of those is the desert kit fox, a cat-sized canine with long delicate ears and fur on the soles of its feet to protect them from the hot sand of the Mojave.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2024

“Even smart, climate-saving clean-energy development like solar projects are often badly sited and destroy important kit fox habitat,” the center says.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2024

When overlayed with existing and proposed renewable energy projects, an additional 1.7% of Joshua tree habitat and 3.9% of kit fox habitat could be lost.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2024

The extra moisture spurred the growth of grasses and other plants, which in turn attracted kit fox prey: insects, lizards, nesting birds, and the little canine’s staple here, ground squirrels.

From National Geographic • Jan. 6, 2021

He felt in a pouch of kit fox with the tail attached, which hung from the front of his girdle like the sporran of a Scotch Highlander.

From The Trail Book by Austin, Mary Hunter