The swift fox,
Vulpes velox, is the smallest fox in North America, weighing 2-3 kilograms. They are usually recognized by their small size, large ears, a long, bushy black-tipped tail, and black patches on either side of the muzzle. Preferring the open prairie, they avoid dense vegetation and wooded areas. They are primarily nocturnal and hunt during the night but they may be seen sunning during the day by their dens. Their life span in the wild is 3-5 years but in captivity they have lived up to 13 years. This species was once found throughout the North American short and mid-grass prairies but has experienced range-wide declines, in part due to habitat loss and subsequent fragmentation. Mortality due to coyote depredation has been established as a main cause of population decline.
Swift Fox in Texas
There has been a decline in the Texas Panhandle population as a result of predator control efforts including trapping, poisoning, and shooting aimed at other targets such as coyotes; human land use practices; coyote depredation; and possible underutilization of prairie dog colonies. Historically, the swift fox was found in over 30 Texas counties but is currently known to exist in only Sherman and Dallam counties. Texas Parks and Wildlife indicated that monitoring needs were to identify and map areas with existing populations and periodically estimate numbers.
Swift Fox Field Research
For the past few years, Houston Zoo staff has teamed up with graduate students from Texas Tech University to participate in field research in the Texas panhandle.
- Navigating using aerial photos and maps while collecting scats and associated vegetation data
- Using GPS equipment on scat search sites and trap sites
- Live trapping which involves bait preparation, setting, and checking trap lines, releasing non-target species, and processing captured foxes
- Dusting, weighing, sexing, aging, measuring, and collecting a tissue sample from the ear of captured foxes
- Interacting with private landowners who have given permission to trap on their land
The Swift Fox Conservation Team
The Swift Fox Conservation Team (SFCT) was formed in 1994 and consists of representatives from state wildlife agencies within the historic range of the swift fox and members of federal and private wildlife and land management agencies. The SFCT was created in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finding the swift fox warranted federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. The SFCT worked on monitoring, research, and management that provided information that supported the removal of the species from the Candidate List in 2001. However, the Team’s primary goal to ensure the long-term conservation of the swift fox has not changed. The Team conducts open annual meetings and publishes an annual report that includes updates on monitoring and research projects.
