Endangered San Joaquin kit fox and non-native red fox: Interspecific competitive interactions (California).

摘要

I investigated the interference and exploitation competition between two species of fox: the endangered native San Joaquin kit fox and the non-native red fox. Seven kit foxes and 16 red foxes were radiocollared and tracked via radio telemetry near Lost Hills, California. Home range overlap occurred between the two species; however the activity cores of the individuals did not overlap, indicating that spatial partitioning was occurring. One kit fox was killed, but not eaten, by a red fox, indicating interference competition. Coyotes were the main cause of death for both species of fox. The presence of both the red fox and coyote in kit fox ranging areas may present a negative additive effect on the survivability of the kit fox. The employment of mechanisms by kit foxes, such as year-round den use, may allow coexistence between kit foxes and coyotes, but not necessarily red foxes.