Desert kit foxes are burrowing, nocturnal canids that dwell in open desert among creosote bush and sand dunes, where their primary food sources are plentiful. Merriam’s kangaroo rat, black-tailed jackrabbits and desert cottontails make up the bulk of their diet, but they’ve also been known to enjoy the occasional bird, reptile – maybe even a wayward bat! They avoid heat stress during the day by remaining inactive in underground dens, emerging at dusk to hunt. Female foxes begin searching for their birthing dens in September and October, engaging in some light house cleaning in the dens within her home range before deciding on one to use – usually located at least 2 miles away from the nearest neighbor to ensure a bountiful hunting territory. Their gestation period is about 7 weeks, and we can look forward to baby foxes (weighing no more than 1.5 ounces!) next February or March. Aside from breeding season adult foxes are solitary animals, but playful pups spend several hours outside their dens playing with their siblings before leaving home – sometimes traveling up to 18 miles – to make their own way in the wild California desert. Photo: Chris Brinkman @brinkmanph; Death Valley National Park Desert kit fox info sourced from the National Park Service. #NationalWildlifeDay