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California's Premier Native Zoo and Garden
Founded in 1980 and opened to the public in 1983, CALM displays and interprets native California animals, plants, fossils, and artifacts to teach a respect for all living things through education, recreation, conservation, and research.

HOURS:
Open daily; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 
Admissions and gift store close at 4:00 p.m.
Winter hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.; November through January.  Admissions and gift store close at 4:00 p.m.

Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & New Year's Day.

CALM ADMISSION:
Adults $7
Seniors $5
Students with ID $4
Children 3-17 $4
Children under 3 years of age are admitted FREE

Special Group rates available with a minimum 2 week advance reservation.

Call 661-872-2256 for more information.



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San Joaquin Kit Fox

COMMON NAME: San Joaquin Kit Fox

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Vulpes macroitis mutica

DESCRIPTION:

This is one of the smallest foxes in North America. A graceful and slender animal with large ears. Its coat is grayish-yellow above and white underneath; the round bushy tail is black-tipped, total length is 20 inches, weight 3 to 5 pounds. Their relatively large ears provide excellent hearing and thermoregulation.

The kit fox digs its own den. The natal or pupping den is large with multiple entrances and several chambers. They may use 60+ den sites in the course of a year, it keeps the coyotes guessing! Timid and curious, some foxes are seen around urban and agricultural areas.

LIFE HISTORY:

Life Span: up to 12 years in captivity.

Litter Size: 3-5, young born in February through March

Litters per year: 1

Mating: occurs in Winter. As canines, the Kitfox lives in family groups: on male with 2 females and their offspring - the young leave the family in autumn to seek their own territory and mate.

Kit Foxes have been confused with Vulpes velox, Swift Fox, which doesn't occur in California.

ECOLOGY:

Habitat: The San Joaquin Kit Fox is a State and Federally listed endangered species because of its limited range in the open arid region of southern San Joaquin Valley and surrounding foothills.

Food: Generally carnivorous, they prey on kangaroo rats, pocket mice, rabbits, reptiles, berries, and insects. Kit fox are prey to coyotes, bobcats and eagles.

ADOPT THIS ANIMAL

References:Wildlife of California, Chronicle Junior Nature Series;Mammals of the Pacific States; Ingles, Lloyd; Stanford University Press, 1965.
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