Researchers with Texas A&M AgriLife are investigating whether the presence of livestock guardian dogs may increase the survival chances of swift foxes by altering the behavior of coyotes. The swift fox is the state’s smallest fox species, roughly the size of a domestic housecat, and is believed to number fewer than 250 statewide.
Haley Sloan, a doctoral student in the Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, noted that the swift fox relies on the shortgrass prairie ecosystem once found across the Panhandle and into western Texas. Dana Karelus, state mammal specialist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, stated that only 40-50% of this ecosystem remains due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
Sloan explained that coyotes can take advantage of the cover provided by taller vegetation in these areas, resulting in coyote predation being a leading cause of mortality in swift fox populations. Her research aims to determine if the presence of livestock guardian dogs paired with a cattle herd can reduce swift fox mortality by altering the behavior and habitat usage of coyotes.
“The idea is that livestock guardian dogs are essentially filling the role of a larger predator that alters the behavior of coyotes,” Sloan said. “The hope is that the dogs’ presence will deter coyotes, thereby reducing swift fox mortality and allowing the foxes to start using areas where the coyotes are being excluded.”
This work is one component of a broader research effort co-led by John Tomeček, associate professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, and researchers at Texas Tech University, with funding from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Dallam County is the only known county in the state with a swift fox population.
