Effects of Artificial Escape Dens on Swift Fox Populations in Northwest Texas

Throughout the range of swift fox (Vulpes velox), coyotes (Canis latrans) are the primary source of swift fox mortality. Coyotes may suppress swift fox populations where densities are high. Because coyote numbers have increased since wolves (Canis lupus) have been exterminated, we hypothesized that...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inWildlife Society bulletin Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 821 - 827
Main Authors MCGEE, BRADY K, BALLARD, WARREN B, NICHOLSON, KERRY L, CYPHER, BRIAN L, LEMONS, PATRICK R, KAMLER, JAN F
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2006
The Wildlife Society
Subjects
abundance
Animal populations
artificial escape dens
Canis latrans
Canis lupus
Carnivore Research and Management
Conservation biology
coyotes
dens
Foxes
Habitat conservation
Habitats
Mortality
National grasslands
recruitment
survival
Survival analysis
swift fox
Swifts
Vulpes velox
Wildlife biology
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife ecology
Wildlife management
Texas
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Throughout the range of swift fox (Vulpes velox), coyotes (Canis latrans) are the primary source of swift fox mortality. Coyotes may suppress swift fox populations where densities are high. Because coyote numbers have increased since wolves (Canis lupus) have been exterminated, we hypothesized that escape habitats may limit swift foxes. To test our hypothesis, we installed artificial escape dens in 3 spatially separated (treated) areas on the Rita Blanca National Grasslands in Dallam County, Texas, USA. From January 2002 to August 2004, we captured, radiocollared, and monitored 55 swift foxes. Annual swift fox survival in artificial escape-den–treated areas (Ŝ = 0.81) was higher than in untreated areas (Ŝ = 0.52, P = 0.07). Relative swift fox abundance was higher in treated than untreated areas in 2002 (Yates' χ2 = 4.61, P = 0.03) and in 2003 (Yates' χ2 = 4.70, P = 0.03) but not in 2004 (Yates' χ2 = 2.67, P = 0.10). However, recruitment rates were no different between treated and untreated areas in 2002 (Yates' χ2 = 0.21, P = 0.65) or 2003 (Yates' χ2 = 0.41, P = 0.52). Ninety-five percent fixed-kernel estimates of home-range sizes revealed no difference (P = 0.91) between treated and untreated areas, but swift foxes increased their distribution by moving into an area that had been unoccupied for at least 3 years before this study. Our results suggest that artificial escape dens contributed to increasing swift fox distributions in our study area.
Bibliography:istex:61566C752924A54664C38E04326D89A73AB632D0
ArticleID:WSB4494
ark:/67375/WNG-5H47QD7S-Q
Warren B. Ballard is professor and associate chair in the Department of Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management at Texas Tech University. His research interests include predator—prey relationships and population dynamics of carnivores and ungulates.
Patrick R. Lemons II currently is a Ph.D. candidate in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. His dissertation research is focused on secondary reproductive strategies of arctic nesting geese in Alaska. He received his M.S. from Texas Tech University in 2001 and his B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Natural History from Kansas State University in 1999.
Kerry L. Nicholson is currently a Ph.D. candidate in wildlife at the University of Arizona. Her dissertation research is focused on urban mountain lion issues. She earned her B.S. degrees from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Wildlife Biology and Biological Sciences and her M.S. degree from Texas Tech University. Her M.S. degree focused on swift fox and black‐tailed prairie dog interactions.
Jan F. Kamler received his B.S. in biology from the University of Kansas, his M.S. in wildlife biology from Kansas State University, and his Ph.D. in wildlife science from Texas Tech University. He currently is a Marie Curie Fellow at Oxford University conducting postdoctoral research on canid interactions in South Africa. His research interests include conservation biology, predator—prey relationships, and the ecology and interactions of carnivores.
Brady K. McGee received his Ph.D. in wildlife science in May 2005 at Texas Tech University, where he studied swift fox ecology. He received his M.S. in wildlife biology from Texas State University in San Marcos and a B.A. in biology and a B.S. in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently is working as a wildlife biologist for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alamo, Texas.
Brian L. Cypher is a research ecologist with the California State University—Stanislaus, Endangered Species Recovery Program. His primary research interest is the ecology and conservation of wild canids. His research experience includes work on wolves, coyotes, gray foxes, red foxes, kit foxes, and island foxes. Since 1990, he has been involved in research and conservation efforts for endangered San Joaquin kit foxes and other sensitive species in the San Joaquin Valley of California. He serves on recovery teams for San Joaquin kit foxes and island foxes and also is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Canid Specialists Group.
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0091-7648
1938-5463
DOI:10.2193/0091-7648(2006)34[821:EOAEDO]2.0.CO;2