San Joaquin Kit Fox: If Friend Shaped, Why Friend Endangered?
7,000 That's how many San Joaquin Kit Foxes are left, just 7,000. At only 5 pounds, the San Joaquin Kit Fox is the smallest member of the dog family in North America. As nocturnal animals (that spend most of the day in dens), kits have large ears, pigmented eyes, and hairy soles that make them well-adapted to the hot climate of their habitat. The kit fox lives in California's San Joaquin Valley, home to desert and grasslands. Their remaining habitat is in the southern and western areas of the valley. The kit fox's habitat was cut in half by 1930! Carrizo Plain National Monument in western Kern County and the Tejon Ranch are the largest remaining intact habitats. Fun Fact: Kit foxes start breeding at just 1 year old and only give birth to 2-6 pups at a time. The adult pair (kit parents) stay together for an entire year to take care of the pups. Cause of Decline Urban Development Vehicle collisions and habitat fragmentation are the leading cause...