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SWIFT FOX NEWSSWIFT FOX NEWS

Newsletter No. 11 of the Swift Fox Conservation Team July 2016

Comments from the Team Leaders This is the 11th newsletter of the Swift Fox Conservation Team (SFCT) since the group’s for-mation in 1994. Representatives of state wildlife agencies within the historic range of the swift fox and members of federal and private wildlife and land management agencies make up the SFCT. When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that the swift fox was warranted for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act, state and other agencies created the SFCT to determine highest conservation priorities for the species. The SFCT drafted a Conservation Assessment and Conser-vation Strategy (CACS) that was published in 1997. Member states and agencies have worked cooperatively on swift fox monitoring, management, and research that provided new information to support the removal of the species from the federal candidate list in 2001. Even though the USFWS is no longer considering the species for federal protection, the Team’s primary mission of ensuring the long-term conservation of swift fox still remains. Most recently, work has been initiated to assess population distribution in the Northern Great Plains and to identify barriers that may be limiting that distribution. Finding those barriers and de-veloping strategies to link populations will work towards the SFCT objective of maintaining swift fox distribution within at least half of the usable habitat available to swift foxes. The Swift Fox Conservation Team's website is hosted by the Colorado Division of Wildlife: http://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/SwiftFoxConservationTeam.aspx. The site includes annual reports, newsletters, and other items of interest submitted by members and partners of the SFCT. We hope you find this newsletter useful and appreciate your support. Patrick Isakson (Chair) Marty Stratman (Co-Chair) ND Game and Fish Department CO Parks and Wildlife Photo by Lu Carbyn

http://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/SwiftFoxConservationTeam.aspx

Agency Updates

One of the objectives of the SFCT is to periodi-

cally evaluate the status of swift fox populations.

Recent mapping efforts have considered pres-

ence or absence at the county level. Where suf-

ficient populations exist, a regulated harvest sea-

son can be a cheap way to broadly evaluate swift

fox distribution at this scale. Since 1994, any

swift fox harvested in Kansas must be pelt

tagged, allowing the Kansas Department of

Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) to close-

ly monitor the harvest. This allows for quality

data to be collected on the number of swift fox

harvested (an average of 79 since 1994) as well

as the details of harvest including county, date,

primary target species, method of harvest, and

take per furharvester. In the last 4 years, swift

foxes have been documented throughout most of

their range in Kansas by harvest alone (Figure

1). Though not as rigorous as a population sur-

vey, efforts to monitor unsuccessful harvest ac-

tivities through standard furharvesting surveys

improve the value of this data. Recent pelt tag-

ging reports by can be found on the KDWPT

website at this link: http://ksoutdoors.com/

Services/Research-Publications/Wildlife-

Research-Surveys.

Contact: Matt Peek, KDWPT

SFCT Newsletter No. 11

Figure 1. Kansas counties from which swift foxes have been harvested since 2012, and the most recent year of

harvest.

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Regulated harvest proves valuable to monitoring swift fox in Kansas


Although the Wyoming Game and Fish Depart-

ment is between official surveys for swift fox in

the state, we still continue to receive reports of

swift fox from wildlife managers and the general

public alike. These reports are critical to our un-

derstanding of the species in the state and provide

information that is used to update range maps and

document reproductive populations. Given the

recent increase in observations of individuals

throughout the western half of the state, swift fox

may be expanding into previously unoccupied are-

as of Wyoming.

A swift fox rests outside of its den south of Wamsutter,

Wyoming. This individual was first reported by oil and

gas workers in the area, and the Wyoming Game and

Fish Department Game Warden in the area was able to

follow up and get a few photos.

Photo courtesy of Kim Olson, WGFD

Contact: Nichole Bjornlie, WY Game and Fish Department

This family of swift fox was documented by a Wyoming

Game and Fish Department Wildlife Biologist north-

west of Worland, Wyoming. These individuals repre-

sent only the second documentation of swift fox in the

Bighorn Basin. Reports of reproduction in swift fox are

extremely useful, especially for individuals on the pe-

riphery of the species range.

Photo courtesy of Bart Kroger, WGFD

A swift fox checks out its den outside of Lander, Wyo-

ming. First observed by a Tribal Game Warden with the

Wind River Indian Reservation, he later went back to

set up a remote camera and was able to get a photo of

this individual.

Photo courtesy of Ben Synder, Wind River Fish and

Game

Agency Updates

Swift Fox Update – Wyoming

Research and Monitoring Updates

Swift foxes are currently believed to be extirpat-

ed from North Dakota and are listed as state

threatened in South Dakota. The current distribu-

tion of swift foxes in the Northern Plains is large-

ly unknown due to a lack of systematic distribu-

tion studies. Knowledge of the current distribu-

tion of swift foxes is necessary to assess the pop-

ulation status of the species and connectivity be-

tween existing populations. This study will eval-

uate the status of swift fox populations in north-

western South Dakota and southwestern North

Dakota, identify existing habitats suitable to swift

fox, and assess disease risk and genetic diversity

of residents. We will conduct trail camera sur-

veys to determine distribution of swift fox, col-

lect samples from live-trapped foxes to assess

disease risk and genetic diversity, and track radio

-collared foxes to locate den sites to assess habi-

tat selection. We will develop a distribution mod-

el of the current fox population and a den-site/

habitat selection model in the study area. We will

identify potential reintroduction sites. Disease

and genetic diversity analyses will be used to de-

termine limiting factors in swift fox survival and

population connectivity, for use in future conser-

vation planning. Finally, we will combine our

findings with those of researchers throughout the

Northern Great Plains to generate region-wide

results, which will ultimately advance conserva-

tion of the species.

Emily Mitchell1, Donelle Schwalm2, Kristy Bly3,

Jonathan Jenks1, Eileen Dowd Stukel4, Stephanie

Tucker5, Patrick Isakson5, and Troy Grovenburg1

1 Department of Natural Resource Management,

South Dakota State University, Brookings, South

Dakota 2 Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State

University, Corvallis, Oregon 3World Wildlife Fund, Columbia Falls, Montana 4 South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, Pierre,

South Dakota 5 North Dakota Game and Fish, Bismarck, North

Dakota


Distribution, Disease, and Conservation Planning for Swift Fox in the Northern Great Plains

drawing by Adam Oswald, SDGFP


Jessica L. Alexander1 Sarah K. Olimb1, Kristy L.S. Bly1, and Marco Restani2

1Northern Great Plains Program, World Wildlife Fund, 13 S. Willson Ave, Suite 1, Bozeman, MT 59715 2Department of Biological Sciences, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN 56301

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is a small grassland canid native to the North American Great Plains. A rein-troduced swift fox population in Canada and northern Montana appears to be isolated from those exist-ing in the central and southern Great Plains. We developed a swift fox habitat suitability model for

southeastern Montana, the region between the two populations. The resulting model indicated that 67.9% of the study area consisted of high-ly suitable habitat. We conducted a least-cost path analysis to evaluate the connectivity of swift fox habitat in the study area to existing swift fox populations in the region. We identi-fied a potential dispersal corridor through southeastern Montana that could facilitate movement between swift fox populations in northern Montana and northern Wyoming and identified four prairie dog complexes in Rose-bud, Custer, and Powder River Counties, Mon-tana, that could serve as potential swift fox reintroduction sites. Each site was comprised of several prairie dog colonies in close proxim-ity and encompassed ≥ 95 km2. We evaluated the effect that swift fox populations estab-lished in each potential reintroduction site could have to population connectivity. Our results as well as future surveys could inform swift fox management and reintroduction pro-grams in Montana.

Least-cost corridor through southeastern Montana between existing swift fox populations southeast and northwest of the study area. *Abstract from: Alexander, J. L., S. K. Olimb, K. L. S. Bly and M. Restani. 2016. Use of least-cost path analysis to identify potential movement corridors of swift foxes in Montana. Journal of Mammalogy Advance Access published April 1, 2016. http://jmammal.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/03/30/jmammal.gyw032


Use of least-cost path analysis to identify potential movement corridors of swift foxes in Montana*

Swift Fox Distribution Assessment and Reintroduction Strategy in Montana

Although historically common and widely distributed in shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies of the Great Plains, swift fox (Vulpes velox) have undergone signif-icant population declines and are now estimated to occupy only 44% of their historic range and <50% of potentially suitable habitats in the United States (Sovada et al. 2009). As a result of its precipitous decline, the swift fox has been a subject of considera-ble conservation concern, particularly in the North-ern Great Plains (NGP) where the swift fox remains largely absent despite the presence of considerable apparently suitable habitat. The Swift Fox Distribu-tion Assessment and Reintroduction Strategy Project aims to facilitate swift fox population expansion in Montana, where large tracts of grasslands have the potential to support a network of new, self-sustaining populations. The long-term goal is to create a robust swift fox population in the Northern Great Plains, which can be linked to core swift fox populations located in the central Great Plains through natural and facilitated repatriation. To achieve this goal, we are using a two-step ap-proach to develop a comprehensive plan for estab-lishing a connected network of swift fox populations in uninhabited grasslands in Montana in the next 20 years. First, we employed camera traps to survey for swift fox in suitable habitat on tribal, private, and public lands in Montana (see following two pages for photos). Second, we will use survey results to estab-lish a species distribution model for swift fox in Montana, which will be used as a baseline during the development of a 20 year reintroduction strategy. To develop the species distribution model, we will com-bine occupancy survey results and a suite of climate, land cover/land use and topographic metrics, as well as measures of sympatric carnivore densities (also collected during the camera trap surveys) to develop a spatially explicit species distribution model in the NGP. We will use this model to predict swift fox occupancy probability in Montana grasslands; the resulting predicted occupancy probability map will serve as a resistance surface to assess the connectivity network between known swift fox populations, new-ly detected populations, and regions with high pre-

dicted suitability but no fox detections. We will then implement a spatially explicit metapopulation frame-work (HexSim; www.hexsim.net) to identify optimal locations for swift fox reintroduction in the study area. Ultimately, we will develop a 20 year prioritization scheme for swift fox reintroduction designed to guide re-establishment of swift fox into unoccupied habitats within their historic distribution in Montana. If re-establishment occurs, it will create a network of new swift fox populations connected to each other and to extant populations. This will not only im-prove long-term population viability and the poten-tial for range expansion in habitats between reintro-duction sites, but also contribute to the Swift Fox Conservation Team’s goal of “…maintaining or re-storing swift fox populations within each state to provide the spatial, genetic, and demographic struc-ture of the United States swift fox population to en-sure long-term species viability, to provide species management flexibility, and to encourage population connectivity” (Dowd Stukel 2011). Results are expected by December 2016. This project is being funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Principle Investigator: Dr. Donelle Schwalm, Oregon State University Co-Investigator: Kristy Bly, World Wildlife Fund Project Partners: American Prairie Reserve, Bureau of Land Management, Defenders of Wildlife, Mon-tana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, and the Tribes of Blackfeet, Crow, Fort Belk-nap, Fort Peck, and Northern Cheyenne.




Swift Fox Distribution Assessment and Reintroduction Strategy in Montana (cont’d)


images show camera-trap arrangement and swift fox responses


Swift Fox Distribution Assessment and Reintroduction Strategy in Montana (cont’d)


Jerry Apker and Marty Stratman, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, hosted the team’s meeting in Fort Collins, Colorado from April 20-21, 2016.

The meeting included updates from state, federal and tribal agencies; conservation partners; and research entities.

Updates for state agencies were presented by representatives from Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Texas as well as the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Participating federal agencies included the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management in the U.S. and the Canadian Wildlife Ser-vice. Participating tribes included the Northern Cheyenne and Fort Peck Tribe. Participating NGOs represented World Wildlife Fund, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Endangered Wolf Center. Research entities included South Dakota State University (SDSU), Oregon State Uni-versity (OSU), and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL).

Research updates included the following: Update on Montana distribution survey; Doni Schwalm, OSU Distribution, disease risk, and conservation planning for swift fox in the Northern

Great Plains; Emily Mitchell, SDSU Assessing the status of reintroduced swift fox in South Dakota; Sarah Nevison, SDSU Assessment of swift fox distribution in Nebraska; Lucia Corral, NE Coop. Fish and

Wildlife Research Unit (UNL) Citizen science swift fox project in Nebraska; Michelle Lute, UNL

Committee reports were presented for Education, Research and Monitoring committees. Tracy Rein, representing the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, updated the group on a re-

cent Global Canid and Hyaenid Conservation Conference, held in Nebraska earlier this year. Kristy Bly updated the group on a swift fox symposium, held in association with The Wildlife

Society’s 2015 Annual Conference in Winnipeg. The group discussed the need for standardized surveys. This is a possible topic for WAFWA

funding, and several members of the group, particularly the Monitoring Committee, will follow up.

The group agreed to several action items for follow up by committees or individual members. Eileen Dowd Stukel was recognized for her service to the SFCT by Kristy Bly with presenta-

tion of a swift fox photograph taken by Cristi Painter. Team administration: Patrick Isakson, ND Game and Fish Department, volunteered to be the

new SFCT Chair. Marty Stratman, CO Parks and Wildlife, will assist as Co-Chair. Troy Grov-enburg of South Dakota State University will edit the SFCT’s report for 2015-2016.

Highlights based on meeting minutes taken by Matt Peek, KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks and Tour-ism. Full meeting minutes will be included in the next biennial report of the SFCT. Newsletter compiled by Eileen Dowd Stukel, SFCT Education Committee Chair

SFCT Newsletter No 11

Highlights of 2016 Team Meeting