The Swift Fox is referred to as a ‘pint-sized predator of the prairie’ with ‘mule deer’ size ears. They are a state threatened species in South Dakota, protecting them from the states trapping program. Named for their quick speed, they can swiftly escape predators.

In the early 1900s the swift fox population in South Dakota dwindled, rebounding slowly with human intervention and a catch and release program using radio collars and bringing in Swift Fox from surrounding states. Vegetative Characteristics of the Swift fox Denning and Foraging Sites in Southwestern South Dakota document supplies integral research including collection of droppings with diet consisting of small mammals, prairie grass and insects, daily life and the swift fox territory.

Vegetative Characteristics of Swift Fox Denning and Foraging Sites in Southwestern South Dakota [https://permanent.fdlp.gov/lps36398/rmrs_rp038.pdf]