San Joaquin Kit Fox

Vulpes Macrotis Mutica

By: Ricardo Hesse

Source: http://faculty.ucr.edu/~chappell/INW/mammals/kitfox.shtml

Descriptions and Ecology of Organism

The Vulpes Macrotis Mutica, also known as the San Joaquin Kit Fox, is a subspecies of the Vulpes Macrotis, the Kit Fox. In the past there were eight sub species of it Fox that were recognized to exist, but as of 1993 there are only two that are recognized, the San Joaquin Kit Fox and all the rest fall under the category of Kit Fox.

 

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/endangered-species/little-kit-foxes-go-romp.html

The San Joaquin Kit Fox is the  smallest canid species in North America;  males are on average 31.7 inches long  and females 30.3 inches long. The  average height at the shoulder for them  is 12 inches and they weigh from 4.6-5  pounds. Their fur tends to vary  depending on the zone as well as the  season of the year, the most common  color for the fur is a yellowish gray  colored. In the winter it leans more  towards a gray coat and in the summer it  develops a more tan color. They are able  to be identified by their distinctly black-tipped tail and their long ears.

The SJ Kit Fox tends to be a nocturnal animal and lives mostly in underground dens to keep away from hot or cold climates, these shelters also serve as protection against predators. They tend to eat whatever they can get their hands on, but specifically tend to eat insects, rodents, and rabbits. The SJ Kit Fox is k-selected and tend to pair during October and November and mate for life, as they are primarily monogamous animals, and breed in December and January. The pregnancy period is 49-55 days and the typical litter size is about 4, but ranges from 1-9. Fox parents will care for their young for about 4-5 months as then it is typically seen that they are able to find food for themselves.

Geographic and population changes

The San Joaquin Kit Fox was once a very populated species that resided in the native grasslands of the San Joaquin Valley California. They are located in arid and semi-arid regions including desert scrub, chaparral, halophytic, and grassland areas. In current times the kit fox is now found only on the edges of the valley ranging from Southern Kern Country all the way up to Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin counties on the west and east in the Stanislaus County; in the Valley floor there are now very few populations compared to before where that was the main location. Based on recent recovery plan studies there is believed to be below 7000 SJ Kit Foxes left, which is a population decline of 20-43% of what was estimated through studies back in the 1930s.

Source: http://esrp.csustan.edu/gis/

Listing Date and Type of Listing

The SJ Kit Fox has had to recovery plans created for the species. It was listed back in 1967 as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and then in 1971 listed as threatened by the California department of Fish and Wildlife. The First recovery plan was created by Suzanne N. Nelson and lasted from 1992 to 1996, the current Recovery Plan was created in 1998. The San Joaquin Kit Fox continues to be listed as an endangered sub species of the Kit Fox.

Cause of Listing and Main threats

There are several reasons for the decline in kit fox population and why it has been listed. Things such as predation, starvation, flooding, disease and drought increased the natural mortality rate. Due to human interactions through shooting, trapping, poisoning, road kill they SJ Kit Fox population has decreased as well. The biggest factor behind the loss in population is due to habitat loss and degradation as their habitat was turned into agricultural, industrial, and urban developments.  The San Joaquin Kit fox is hunted by coyotes and red foxes as well as competing for food with them. Rat poison is also killing them because of the poison that is accumulated in their prey.

Source: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/569581576648654848

Description of Recovery Plan

               The San Joaquin Kit Fox is an umbrella species, and as such, the recovery of this species is critical for other species that reside in the San Joaquin Valley as well. The goal is to create and conserve a number of populations throughout its geographic range because of their need of such a large area, but still have ways for the populations to connect with one another to promote genetic diversity. The three core populations that would be protected would be the Carrizo Plain Natural Area, Natural Lands of Western Kern County, and the Ciervo-Panoche Natural Area of western Fresno. Another action being done is to reduce how isolated kit foxes are by promoting “safe harbor” on agricultural lands as well as the reduction of agricultural lands that have too much damage to be sustainable as farm land. There is also more information and studies needed on the SJ Kit Fox which is another thing this recovery plan hopes to do. Information on distribution, accurate and new population studies, as well as interactions with other species will be researched and gained throughout this recovery process.

Ways to help?

               There are many groups that are promoting knowledge on the San Joaquin kit Fox as well as promoting ways in which one can help the species. One of the main groups leading this is, of course, the California Department of US Fish and Wildlife (https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/) and Defenders of Wildlife (http://www.defenders.org/).

Some things one can do are:

·        Sealing trash containers

·        Put away bird feeders at night

·        Pick up fallen fruit and cover trash piles

·        Don’t use traps in areas where Kit Foxes are located

·        Never fill or destroy a burrow (they are protected by State and federal laws)

·        Take down and furl up sports nets to prevent tangling

·        Avoid using rat poison in kit fox habitats

               

Source: http://faculty.ucr.edu/~chappell/INW/mammals/kitfox.shtml

Works Cited

•       "Basic Facts on San Joaquin Kit Foxes" Defenders of Wildlife. Defenders of Wildlife, n.d. Web. 

          http://www.defenders.org/san-joaquin-kit-fox/basic-facts

•       California Department of U.S. Fish and Wildlife. "keep me Wild: Kit Fox." CA.Gov. State of California, n.d. Web. 

          https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Kit-Fox

•       U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998. Recovery plan for upland species of the San Joaquin Valley, California. Region 1, Portland, OR. 319 pp.

          http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/980930a.pdf

•       Cyphers, B. & List, R.2014. Vulpes macrotis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T41587A62259374.

          http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41587/0