Kit Fox Family Spotted Near Bakersfield College
A baby kit fox, about 5 months old, pops out of its den at Bakersfield College’s Memorial Stadium in the early evening last week. The fox has been marked with a vertical stripe by researchers who are studying the habits and behavior of a kit fox family that has settled in at the stadium.
Kit fox pups popping up around town
BY Shellie Brabco, Bakersfield Californian staff writer
e-mail: sbranco@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, Jun 14 2006 9:10 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jun 14 2006 9:22 PM
Photo by Dan Ocampo
The life of a research biologist requires patience and a good distance from one's subjects.
Video: * Tracking kit foxes with a fake coyote and skunk glands . ChartingKitFoxes.source.wmv
Samantha Bremner-Harrison sat in the empty stands of Bakersfield College's Memorial Stadium at sunset last week.
For an hour she peered through binoculars at the distant slope bearing the BC sign. Every minute she whispered her observations into an audio recorder.
"Everybody out of sight," she said. For some 40 minutes straight.
Finally, a family of San Joaquin kit foxes emerged from a den. Pups of this endangered species ran and played while the father fox kept watch. The mother left to find food.
Kit fox pups are heading out of dens around Bakersfield. The pups at the stadium were born about five months ago, said Bremner-Harrison, who works for the Endangered Species Recovery Program out of California State University at Stanislaus.
The researchers are looking for behavioral differences in urban and rural litters to see whether shy or bold kit foxes survive better.
Bremner-Harrison and others observe dens at other sites such as Cal State Bakersfield and the golf course at Seven Oaks Country Club.
"One of the endearing things about them is they're so inquisitive, which is probably part of their downfall," she said.
Researchers marked patterns on four of the five stadium pups with nontoxic hair dye. The observations will end in about three weeks; then researchers will trap the pups and place radio collars on them for tracking purposes. The pups will disperse midsummer.
Bremner-Harrison uses a behavioral scale she developed for her graduate studies on swift foxes in Montana. She found the bold swift foxes didn't avoid predators and were less likely to survive.
She records one behavior per kit fox every minute. Bold behaviors, such as not remaining vigilant of the surroundings, receive higher scores than shy behaviors. She later tallies the scores for the animals.
She keeps her distance from the dens and speaks in a hushed voice so she doesn't influence the animals' behavior.
Bremner-Harrison has used novel and threatening stimuli to test kit fox reactions at other locations. The novel stimulus is a stinky meat mix that might attract the animal. She created the threatening stimulus from a stuffed dog toy doused with coyote urine.
The creation is mounted to the base of a remote-controlled toy car so she can move it. A CD player hidden in the dog emits coyote howls. Bremner-Harrison plans to use the toy on her fourth and final observation at the college.
One kit fox recently caused a stir for drivers in southwest Bakersfield. Freelance writer and photographer Lisa Jehle said she observed a kit fox darting through traffic two weeks agonear the housing development on Castle & Cooke land at Gosford Road and Ming Avenue. Workers were discing the land, said Scott Blunck, vice president of land development for Castle & Cooke.
Two kit fox dens on the site had been inspected and determined vacant, so machines were allowed on the land, said Jim Movius, city planning director. The kit fox could have come from anywhere, possibly the nearby canal kit foxes use to travel, he added.
Biologists will continue to monitor the site for kit fox activity and work will not continue if kit foxes are found, said Renee Massey, communications manager for Castle & Cooke.
Brian Cypher, a research ecologist for the Endangered Species Recovery Program, said the pups tend to be out in the daytime more often as they grow.
If you see kit foxes ...
Do not approach or handle kit foxes, even if they appear sick or injured. They will likely run away or hide in their dens if they feel threatened. If you see an injured kit fox, call city or county animal control services.
• County: 868-7100
• City: 326-3436
Kit foxes are federally protected. Harming a kit fox or destroying its den is a misdemeanor and may result in a fine and/or jail time.
If you see a kit fox or den that appears threatened, call the state Department of Fish and Game Region 4 in Fresno, 559-243-4005.
Kit fox pups popping up around town
BY Shellie Brabco, Bakersfield Californian staff writer
e-mail: sbranco@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, Jun 14 2006 9:10 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jun 14 2006 9:22 PM
Photo by Dan Ocampo
The life of a research biologist requires patience and a good distance from one's subjects.
Video: * Tracking kit foxes with a fake coyote and skunk glands . ChartingKitFoxes.source.wmv
Samantha Bremner-Harrison sat in the empty stands of Bakersfield College's Memorial Stadium at sunset last week.
For an hour she peered through binoculars at the distant slope bearing the BC sign. Every minute she whispered her observations into an audio recorder.
"Everybody out of sight," she said. For some 40 minutes straight.
Finally, a family of San Joaquin kit foxes emerged from a den. Pups of this endangered species ran and played while the father fox kept watch. The mother left to find food.
Kit fox pups are heading out of dens around Bakersfield. The pups at the stadium were born about five months ago, said Bremner-Harrison, who works for the Endangered Species Recovery Program out of California State University at Stanislaus.
The researchers are looking for behavioral differences in urban and rural litters to see whether shy or bold kit foxes survive better.
Bremner-Harrison and others observe dens at other sites such as Cal State Bakersfield and the golf course at Seven Oaks Country Club.
"One of the endearing things about them is they're so inquisitive, which is probably part of their downfall," she said.
Researchers marked patterns on four of the five stadium pups with nontoxic hair dye. The observations will end in about three weeks; then researchers will trap the pups and place radio collars on them for tracking purposes. The pups will disperse midsummer.
Bremner-Harrison uses a behavioral scale she developed for her graduate studies on swift foxes in Montana. She found the bold swift foxes didn't avoid predators and were less likely to survive.
She records one behavior per kit fox every minute. Bold behaviors, such as not remaining vigilant of the surroundings, receive higher scores than shy behaviors. She later tallies the scores for the animals.
She keeps her distance from the dens and speaks in a hushed voice so she doesn't influence the animals' behavior.
Bremner-Harrison has used novel and threatening stimuli to test kit fox reactions at other locations. The novel stimulus is a stinky meat mix that might attract the animal. She created the threatening stimulus from a stuffed dog toy doused with coyote urine.
The creation is mounted to the base of a remote-controlled toy car so she can move it. A CD player hidden in the dog emits coyote howls. Bremner-Harrison plans to use the toy on her fourth and final observation at the college.
One kit fox recently caused a stir for drivers in southwest Bakersfield. Freelance writer and photographer Lisa Jehle said she observed a kit fox darting through traffic two weeks agonear the housing development on Castle & Cooke land at Gosford Road and Ming Avenue. Workers were discing the land, said Scott Blunck, vice president of land development for Castle & Cooke.
Two kit fox dens on the site had been inspected and determined vacant, so machines were allowed on the land, said Jim Movius, city planning director. The kit fox could have come from anywhere, possibly the nearby canal kit foxes use to travel, he added.
Biologists will continue to monitor the site for kit fox activity and work will not continue if kit foxes are found, said Renee Massey, communications manager for Castle & Cooke.
Brian Cypher, a research ecologist for the Endangered Species Recovery Program, said the pups tend to be out in the daytime more often as they grow.
If you see kit foxes ...
Do not approach or handle kit foxes, even if they appear sick or injured. They will likely run away or hide in their dens if they feel threatened. If you see an injured kit fox, call city or county animal control services.
• County: 868-7100
• City: 326-3436
Kit foxes are federally protected. Harming a kit fox or destroying its den is a misdemeanor and may result in a fine and/or jail time.
If you see a kit fox or den that appears threatened, call the state Department of Fish and Game Region 4 in Fresno, 559-243-4005.
posted by Susan R Allen | 7:04 AM
<< Home