Syntopy between Endangered San Joaquin Kit Foxes and Potential Competitors in an Urban Environment
2023
Brian L. Cypher | Nicole A. Deatherage | Erica C. Kelly | Tory L. Westall
The endangered San Joaquin kit fox (<i>Vulpes macrotis mutica</i>; SJKF) occurs in the city of Bakersfield, CA, where several putative competitors also occur, including domestic cats (<i>Felis catus</i>), striped skunks (<i>Mephitis mephitis</i>), raccoons (<i>Procyon lotor</i>), and opossums (<i>Didephis virginiana</i>). We used data from a multi-year (2015–2022) city-wide camera station survey to assess whether the other species were simply sympatric with SJKF or coexisting syntopically (i.e., occurring in the same habitats without apparent competition). Annual detection rates for the other species were not correlated with SJKF rates either within SJKF habitat suitability categories (low, medium, and high) or for all categories combined. Also, detection rates for the other species did not increase in response to a significant decline in SJKF abundance caused by sarcoptic mange. The use of all SJKF habitat suitability categories by the other species and co-detections with SJKF at camera stations indicate high spatial overlap. Interference and exploitative competition between the species are apparently negligible, likely due to similar body sizes and high resource abundance. Thus, SJKF and the other species appear to be coexisting syntopically in the urban environment, resulting in a significant additional SJKF population that facilitates range-wide conservation and recovery of this endangered species.
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