San Joaquin Kit Fox - Vulpes marotis mutica |
https://secure.defenders.org/site/SPageNavigator/wagc_kitfox.html |
Growing up, my two brothers and myself loved to play wiffle ball in the backyard. The downside was that I was always having to hop my backyard fence, which resided in Tracy California of the San Joaquin Valley, into the 5 acre field to retrieve lost wiffle balls. Often times the owner of the fields sheep would be grazing close by, other times I would see squirrels run by. But on the rare occasion, I would see a little small fox looking creature scurry away from me or even after one of the squirrels. I did not think much of the critter besides myself not knowing they inhabited that field of my hometown; nor did I know that this species has been endangered for 30 years, due to the agriculture and commercialization of where I grew up.
Summary of Ecology
The kit fox is classified as a canid, a mammal that is part of the dog family. It is actually the smallest canid species in North America. Physically, a San Joaquin kit fox can be identified by its small, slim body, relatively large, close-set ears, a narrow nose, and a long, bushy tail tapering slightly toward the tip (Orloff et al.1993).
It can sometimes be challenging to identify the differences in the three fox species of San Jaoquin Valley, especially since they are primarily nocturnal animals. The black tipped tail of a kit fox and the general difference in coat color can distinguish it from a red fox and gray fox. Kit foxes typically consume primarily nocturnal rodents, such as ground squirrels and mice, but also some vegetation and insects from the San Joaquin Valley (Orloff et al.1993).
Geographical and Population Changes
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| http://esrp.csustan.edu/publications/pubhtml.php?doc=sjvrp&file=chapter02L00.html |
Before 1930, kit foxes inhabited “most of the San Joaquin Valley, from southern Kern County, north to Tracy, San Joaquin County on the western side, and near La Grange, Stanislaus County on the eastside” (Grinnell 1937). Due to the overwhelming habitat and fragmentation, extant populations of the kit fox appear in the Carrizo Plains in the San Luis Obispo County. It is believed that by 1930 the kit fox range had been reduced by more than half (Grinnell 1937).
Listing Date
Although the San Joaquin kit fox has been listed as endangered for over 30 years, there has never been a comprehensive survey’ of its entire historical range. (Morrelt 1975). The actual date of listing for endangerment was March 11, 1967.
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| https://secure.defenders.org/site/SPageNavigator/wagc_kitfox.html |
Cause of Listing/Threats to Continued Existence
Predation by larger carnivores (e.g., coyotes) accounts for the majority of San Joaquin kit fox mortality. The effects of disease, parasites and accidental death are largely unknown, but were thought to account for only a small portion of mortality (Berry et al. 1987a). Drought plays a role in low reproductive success (i.e., pups are born but do not survive to weaning). Shooting, trapping, poisoning, electrocution, road kills, and suffocation have all been recognized as human-induced mortality factors, but occur also at a much more lower portion.
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| http://biotatvorg.tumblr.com/post/141461356235/the-kit-and-kaboodle-about-the-kit-fox |
However, by the 1950’s the principal factors in the decline of the San Joaquin kit fox were loss, degradation, and fragmentation of habitats associated with agricultural, industrial, and urban developments in the San Joaquin Valley (Knapp 1978). Growing up in Tracy, it is pretty apparent how agricultural effected the city and shaped the town, but it can also be seen how it affects the species that lived there prior to human inhabitants and then expansion.
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| https://sites.google.com/site/sanjoaquinkitfoxsp2015/endangered-species |
Description of Recovery Plan
The recovery plan for kit foxes is part of a much broader plan that has conservation efforts for 33 other upland species of the San Joaquin Valley. Due to the agricultural and commercial expansion in their habitat region, the most important effort is to create conservation areas. Three important purchases of conservation areas included the acquisitions of the Carrizo Plain, Ciervo-Panoche
Natural Area, and the Lokern Natural Area (White and Ralls 1993). This is extremely important, keeping these natural and untouched regions available for the kit foxes to inhabit without being disrupted by agriculture or commercial means.
What YOU can Do
Although stopping the disruption of the wild grasslands may be difficult on your own, it is all about the mindset. It is important to make sure that whenever someone visits one of these conservation regions, that they recognize that it is such and to keep it untarnished. Pick up after oneself and do not do anything that could leave an impact on the environment.
Other Resources
Both of the above links provide more detailed explanations of the San Joaquin Kit Fox's discovery plan and assessment by conversationalist corporations.
Works Cited
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1998. Recovery Plan for Upland Species of the San Joaquin Valley, California. 340 pp. http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/980930a.pdf
The in-text citations used above were taken from the in-text citations used in the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service recovery plan, just wanted to give credit where credit is originally due, however all the information was accessed vicariously through the work cited.
I liked your intro paragraph to connect you back with the animal. It was overall an interesting and informative read--your images are helpful and I understand all the points being made. You are super thorough and I can tell you put in a lot of research! Keep it up, hotshot!
ReplyDelete-Annie O'Brien