Noteworthy record of the kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) and its relation to physiographic characteristics in Baja California, Mexico

Abstract

The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) lives in sandy and shallow soils of the Pacific coastal plains and the ecoregion of San Felipe desert. The reports of this species are scarce and in Mexico it is listed as a threatened species. The populations of V. macrotis tend to decrease due to the change in the habitat to agricultural land, which has been one of the causes of the disappearance of kit fox populations in Mexico. As part of the project “Characterisation of water bodies in Sierra Santa Isabel, Baja Californiaâ€, 12 camera traps were placed in six watering holes that are visited by wildlife from January to August 2015. Digital terrain elevation models were used to describe three variables: roughness, slope inclination and orientation; these variables are essential for the kit fox to build its burrows, catch its preys and escape from predators. The analyses were also carried out in localities where this carnivore had previously been recorded in Baja California. An analysis of variance was used to determine the existence of similarities or differences between the topographical characteristics of the historical localities and the new record. The first photographic record of the kit fox was obtained in one of the watering holes located within the Valle de los Cirios Flora and Fauna Protection Area. The analyses of variance confirmed that there are no significant differences between roughness (F 4, 780 = 0.11, P > 0.05), slope inclination (F 4, 1275 = 0.319, P > 0.05) and orientation (F 4, 15 = 0.41, P > 0.05), between the historical localities and the site where the new record was obtained. Other carnivores were also recorded in the watering hole, such as the cougar (Puma concolor), bobcat (Lynx rufus), coyote (Canis latrans) and gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). The presence of the kit fox is likely occasional in the watering hole, because the slopes are greater than 10 degrees and, therefore, these sites are unsuitable for the construction of burrows. However, flat sites with sandy substrates that empty into the Gulf of California occur at a distance of less than 5 km from the watering hole, which are therefore suitable to be inhabited by the kit fox. The analysis of topographic variables of the historical records coupled with camera traps jointly confirmed that the site with the new record has characteristics that are suitable for the kit fox.