Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Fall 2014

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Resource Management

Committee Chair

Kristina Ernest

Second Committee Member

Jennifer Lipton

Third Committee Member

Kristy Bly

Abstract

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is a small can.id native to the short-grass prairies of the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada. Swift foxes once occupied areas of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and the southern regions of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, including the Northern Cheyenne Reservation (NCR) in southeastern, Montana. Since the arrival of European settlers to the prairie region in the late 1800s through the early 1900s, swift fox distribution or been reduced and populations have substantially declined or completely eliminated in some areas due largely to persecution of predators by humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate swift fox occurrence on the NCR. Six sites within black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) towns (where swift foxes are most likely to occur) were selected for monitoring. At each site, six digital cameras were set along a 5-km long transect. Surveys, consisting of three consecutive nights of camera operation, were conducted three times at each site between December 2011 and January 2012, and again between October 2012 and February 2013, for a total of 36 surveys on the six sites. The photos were analyzed and categorized by species. After two field seasons, no swift foxes were detected. This suggests that swift foxes do not presently occur in numbers sufficient to sustain breeding populations, if at all, on the NCR. Recommendations for future work include: (1) Determine if further monitoring is necessary; (2) Conduct an investigation of the factors that potentially impact (disrupt) swift fox populations on the NCR; (3) Determine if habitat restoration is necessary; (4) Perform a swift fox habitat suitability analysis to determine if reintroduction is a viable option; (5) Implement conservation management strategies for swift foxes and their habitats on the NCR.

Comments

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