Taxon:
Vulpes vulpes

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Scientific Name
Vulpes vulpes
Common Name
Red Fox
Taxa Group
Canidae
Environment
Move Mode

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Subject: red fox ×

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Data package
    Data from: Coexistence of two sympatric predators in a transitional ecosystem under constraining environmental conditions: a perspective from space and habitat use
    (2023-12-11) Warret Rodrigues, Chloé; Roth, James D.
    Background: Range expansion of species, a major consequence of climate changes, may alter communities substantially due to competition between expanding and native species. Methods: We first quantified size differences between an expanding habitat generalist, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and a circumpolar habitat specialist, the Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), at the edge of the Arctic, where climate-related changes occur rapidly, to predict the likelihood of the larger competitor escalating interference to intraguild killing. We then used satellite telemetry to evaluate competition in a heterogeneous landscape by examining space use early during the foxes' reproductive period, when resource scarcity, increased-food requirements and spatial constraints likely exacerbate the potential for interference. We used time-LoCoH to quantify space and habitat use, and Minta's index to quantify spatio-temporal interactions between neighbors. Results: Our morphometric comparison involving 236 foxes found that the potential for escalated interference between these species was high due to intermediate size difference. However, our results from 17 collared foxes suggested that expanding and native competitors may coexist when expanding species occur at low densities. Low home-range overlap between neighbors suggested territoriality and substantial exploitation competition for space. No obvious differential use of areas shared by heterospecific neighbors suggested low interference. If anything, intraspecific competition between red foxes may be stronger than interspecific competition. Red and Arctic foxes used habitat differentially, with near-exclusive use of forest patches by red foxes and marine habitats by Arctic foxes. Conclusion: Heterogeneous landscapes may relax interspecific competition between expanding and native species, allowing exclusive use of some resources. Furthermore, the scarcity of habitats favored by expanding species may emphasize intraspecific competition between newcomers over interspecific competition, thus creating the potential for self-limitation of expanding populations. Dominant expanding competitors may benefit from interference, but usually lack adaptations to abiotic conditions at their expansion front, favoring rear-edge subordinate species in exploitation competition. However, due to ongoing climate change, systems are usually not at equilibrium. A spread of habitats and resources favorable to expanding species may promote higher densities of antagonistically dominant newcomers, which may lead to extirpation of native species.
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    Data package
    Data from: Study "Red fox Herschel - Argos tracking"
    (2021-12-30) Berteaux, Dominique
    Rapid range expansion of boreal forest predators onto the tundra may disrupt local ecological processes, notably through competition with ecologically similar species. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have expanded their range northwards throughout the Canadian Arctic, inducing competition with endemic Arctic foxes (V. lagopus). We studied competition between Arctic and red foxes, with a focus on interference competition, and winter movements of red foxes using satellite telemetry and den occupancy data from both species. We worked at Bylot Island (Nunavut) and Herschel Island (northern Yukon), two sites at the northern limit of the red fox’s range. As expected, red fox home ranges were 56% larger on average than Arctic fox home ranges. However, red foxes did not exclude arctic foxes regionally nor did they prevent them from breeding successfully in their vicinity. On Bylot Island, Arctic foxes did not spatially avoid red foxes more than their conspecifics, as evidenced by similar intra- and inter-specific home-range overlaps. On Herschel Island, the red fox pair's home range extensively overlapped the home range of their Arctic fox neighbors. While red foxes tracked on Bylot Island survived several winters without expanding or leaving their home ranges, those on Herschel Island moved onto the sea ice and died. Overall, our results demonstrate low levels of interference competition between the two species in the High Canadian Arctic. When red fox density is low, as in our study areas where land protection prevents predator subsidization by anthropogenic food sources, Arctic and red foxes may be able to co-exist with limited antagonistic interactions. Our sample sizes were limited by the naturally low density of red foxes at their northernmost edge, thus replication is needed to fully understand winter space use and intraguild interactions in this species at its northern range limit.
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    Data package
    Data from: Study "Red fox Bylot - Argos tracking"
    (2021-12-30) Berteaux, Dominique
    Rapid range expansion of boreal forest predators onto the tundra may disrupt local ecological processes, notably through competition with ecologically similar species. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have expanded their range northwards throughout the Canadian Arctic, inducing competition with endemic Arctic foxes (V. lagopus). We studied competition between Arctic and red foxes, with a focus on interference competition, and winter movements of red foxes using satellite telemetry and den occupancy data from both species. We worked at Bylot Island (Nunavut) and Herschel Island (northern Yukon), two sites at the northern limit of the red fox’s range. As expected, red fox home ranges were 56% larger on average than Arctic fox home ranges. However, red foxes did not exclude arctic foxes regionally nor did they prevent them from breeding successfully in their vicinity. On Bylot Island, Arctic foxes did not spatially avoid red foxes more than their conspecifics, as evidenced by similar intra- and inter-specific home-range overlaps. On Herschel Island, the red fox pair's home range extensively overlapped the home range of their Arctic fox neighbors. While red foxes tracked on Bylot Island survived several winters without expanding or leaving their home ranges, those on Herschel Island moved onto the sea ice and died. Overall, our results demonstrate low levels of interference competition between the two species in the High Canadian Arctic. When red fox density is low, as in our study areas where land protection prevents predator subsidization by anthropogenic food sources, Arctic and red foxes may be able to co-exist with limited antagonistic interactions. Our sample sizes were limited by the naturally low density of red foxes at their northernmost edge, thus replication is needed to fully understand winter space use and intraguild interactions in this species at its northern range limit.
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    Data package
    Data from: Eastern coyote home range, habitat selection and survival in the Albany pine bush landscape
    (2019-12-10) Bogan, Daniel A.; Kays, Roland
    In the northeast USA, top mammalian predators were extirpated through persecution and habitat loss. The coyote (Canis latrans) expanded into the northeast taking advantage of this vacant predator niche. Since 1970, coyotes have been widespread across all of mainland New York, yet no study has examined how well coyotes survive in suburban areas in this region and little is known of their ecological roles or potential to conflict with people. This information is important because in western states coyotes have high survival rates, a high degree of urban association and cause conflict with people. I studied survivorship and correlates of cause-specific mortality of coyotes using radio telemetry. The annual survival rate was 0.20 ± 0.14. There were no differences in survival rates between sexes, age classes, home range location, or capture methods. Collisions with vehicles (n = 7) and shooting (n = 6) accounted for the 2 major mortality factors. Coyotes that were killed by vehicles crossed roads more often than all other coyotes, though they did not have more roads within their home ranges. Coyotes that were shot had a larger mean and maximum open habitat patch size within their home ranges. High exploitation of the local coyote population may cause coyotes to avoid human-developed lands thus reducing the potential for negative interactions with people. I concurrently studied home range and habitat selection of coyotes in the suburban Albany Pine Bush landscape. Fixed kernel and minimum convex polygon (95%) home ranges (n = 17) averaged 6.81 km2 and 5.75 km2, respectively. Habitat analysis revealed that coyotes selected for natural habitat and avoided residential and commercial lands when locating a home range area and moving within the home range. Compositional analysis additionally ranked natural habitat as the most selected habitat at 2 spatial scales of selection (62.3% and 74.5%). Coyotes lived in small home ranges and primarily used the remaining natural lands in the suburban landscape. These results indicate that local coyotes maintain a natural ecological role and under existing conditions do not currently pose a threat to people and pets living adjacent to natural lands.
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    Data package
    Data from: Toward reliable population density estimates of partially marked populations using spatially explicit mark-resight methods
    (2020-02-25) Carter, Andrew; David A., Roshier
    (1) Camera traps are used increasingly to estimate population density for elusive and difficult to observe species. A standard practice for mammalian surveys is to place cameras on roads, trails, and paths to maximize detections and/or increase efficiency in the field. However, for many species it is unclear whether track‐based camera surveys provide reliable estimates of population density. (2) Understanding how the spatial arrangement of camera traps affects population density estimates is of key interest to contemporary conservationists and managers given the rapid increase in camera‐based wildlife surveys. (3) We evaluated the effect of camera‐trap placement, using several survey designs, on density estimates of a widespread mesopredator, the red fox Vulpes vulpes, over a two‐year period in a semi‐arid conservation reserve in south‐eastern Australia. Further, we used the certainty in the identity and whereabouts of individuals (via GPS collars) to assess how resighting rates of marked foxes affect density estimates using maximum likelihood spatially explicit mark–resight methods. (4) Fox detection rates were much higher at cameras placed on tracks compared with off‐track cameras, yet in the majority of sessions, camera placement had relatively little effect on point estimates of density. However, for each survey design, the precision of density estimates varied considerably across sessions, influenced heavily by the absolute number of marked foxes detected, the number of times marked foxes was resighted, and the number of detection events of unmarked foxes. (5) Our research demonstrates that the precision of population density estimates using spatially explicit mark–resight models is sensitive to resighting rates of identifiable individuals. Nonetheless, camera surveys based either on‐ or off‐track can provide reliable estimates of population density using spatially explicit mark–resight models. This underscores the importance of incorporating information on the spatial behavior of the subject species when planning camera‐trap surveys.