June 9, 2014
Swift Fox Kits Nursing, Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado

The Swift Fox (Vulpes velox) vixen, or female, at the den we've been photographing has started to relax quite a bit while we're around. Here she's getting ready to nurse four of her kits. (One is on the other side of her and out of view.) We haven't seen the fifth kit for about four days and suspect that it has died. That's surprising because the runt of the litter, which is significantly smaller and not as well developed as the other kits, is busy feeding here and has been favoring its front right paw for a few days.