Swift Fox

Swift foxes have a monogamous mating system. Adults live in pairs, and although some individuals mate for life, others choose different partners each year. Their breeding season varies with region. In the southern United States, for example, it occurs between December and February with pups born in March and early April. Females give birth to 4-5 kits after the gestation period that lasts around 51 days. Pups are born in the den and typically remain there for approximately one month. A newborn pup's eyes and ears remain closed for 10 to 15 days, leaving it dependent on the mother for food and protection during this time. It is usually weaned around 6 or 7 weeks old and remains with its parents until fall. The social organization in Swift foxes is unusual among canids as it is based on the females. Females maintain territories at all times, but males emigrate if the resident female is killed or removed. Young males become reproductively mature at one year of age, while young females usually start breeding when they are two years old.