2403_0297 Swift Fox at Den
Meet our smallest wild canid, the Swift Fox! About the size of a house cat - ie. half the size of a Red Fox and one quarter that of a Coyote - the Swift Fox is mostly nocturnal and therefore seldom seen. In all my years on the prairie, I have seen exactly one.
Extirpated in Canada throughout its range, mainly due to habitat loss, it has made a comeback in Saskatchewan and Alberta following a reintroduction program that began in the 1990s. Populations now appear to be stable. However, predation by coyotes, badgers, and some raptors, as well as poisoning from insecticide use in agriculture are negative factors affecting this species.
I was on foot for this shot, hiding behind a fence post. But I wasn't fooling anyone, and a moment later the fox retreated into its den. I left the scene immediately. In Pageworld, animals have the right to feel safe, and the right to privacy. Conservation status of swift foxes in western Canada varies from "threatened" to "endangered", depending on who you ask. Well... that's better than "extirpated"...
Photographed in Rosefield, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2403_0297 Swift Fox at Den
Meet our smallest wild canid, the Swift Fox! About the size of a house cat - ie. half the size of a Red Fox and one quarter that of a Coyote - the Swift Fox is mostly nocturnal and therefore seldom seen. In all my years on the prairie, I have seen exactly one.
Extirpated in Canada throughout its range, mainly due to habitat loss, it has made a comeback in Saskatchewan and Alberta following a reintroduction program that began in the 1990s. Populations now appear to be stable. However, predation by coyotes, badgers, and some raptors, as well as poisoning from insecticide use in agriculture are negative factors affecting this species.
I was on foot for this shot, hiding behind a fence post. But I wasn't fooling anyone, and a moment later the fox retreated into its den. I left the scene immediately. In Pageworld, animals have the right to feel safe, and the right to privacy. Conservation status of swift foxes in western Canada varies from "threatened" to "endangered", depending on who you ask. Well... that's better than "extirpated"...
Photographed in Rosefield, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.