Noteworthy record of the kit fox, Vulpes macrotis, in the southcentral limit of its historical distribution

Abstract

Kit fox, Vulpes macrotris, is a nocturnal carnivore uncommon to rare that inhabits desert and semiarid regions of western North America.  Unlike the northern populations, there is less information about this species in the southcentral part of its distribution.  In this work, we report a noteworthy record of the kit fox from northwestern San Luis Potosí, México.  On 12 August 2017, one road-killed male kit fox was recorded from the municipality of Charcas, San Luis Potosí, México.  The specimen was photographed and external somatic measurements were taken.  Additionally, geographic coordinates were taken and the characteristics of the habitat type were determined.  Our record represents the first reliable evidence of the kit fox in the state of San Luis Potosí, México, and it is also possibly the second southernmost record for this species in the southcentral part of its historical range.  The individual was found 107 km northwest the previous record from 11.26 km S at Real de Los Pinos, Zacatecas, México.  The presence of the kit fox is confirmed in northwest San Luis Potosí, México, after 65 years of its last record in the closest locality in the state of Zacatecas.  The biological implications of this record, as well as the need to carry out effective long-term monitoring in order to know the distribution of kit foxes’ populations and their ecological parameters are discussed.