Cypher Brian L, Deatherage Nicole A, Kelly Erica C, Westall Tory L
Endangered Species Recovery Program, California State University-Stanislaus, 1 University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2023 Oct 14;13(20):3210. doi: 10.3390/ani13203210.
The endangered San Joaquin kit fox (; SJKF) occurs in the city of Bakersfield, CA, where several putative competitors also occur, including domestic cats (), striped skunks (), raccoons (), and opossums (). We used data from a multi-year (2015-2022) city-wide camera station survey to assess whether the other species were simply sympatric with SJKF or coexisting syntopically (i.e., occurring in the same habitats without apparent competition). Annual detection rates for the other species were not correlated with SJKF rates either within SJKF habitat suitability categories (low, medium, and high) or for all categories combined. Also, detection rates for the other species did not increase in response to a significant decline in SJKF abundance caused by sarcoptic mange. The use of all SJKF habitat suitability categories by the other species and co-detections with SJKF at camera stations indicate high spatial overlap. Interference and exploitative competition between the species are apparently negligible, likely due to similar body sizes and high resource abundance. Thus, SJKF and the other species appear to be coexisting syntopically in the urban environment, resulting in a significant additional SJKF population that facilitates range-wide conservation and recovery of this endangered species.
濒危的圣华金小狐（SJKF）出现在加利福尼亚州贝克斯菲尔德市，在那里还存在几种假定的竞争者，包括家猫、条纹臭鼬、浣熊和负鼠。我们利用一项为期多年（2015 - 2022年）的全市范围相机监测站调查数据，来评估其他物种是仅仅与圣华金小狐同域分布，还是在同一栖息地中同域共存（即，在同一栖息地中出现但无明显竞争）。在圣华金小狐栖息地适宜性类别（低、中、高）内，或者所有类别综合起来看，其他物种的年度检测率与圣华金小狐的检测率均无相关性。此外，由于疥螨病导致圣华金小狐数量显著下降时，其他物种的检测率并未随之增加。其他物种对圣华金小狐所有栖息地适宜性类别的利用情况，以及在相机监测站与圣华金小狐的共同检测情况，都表明存在高度的空间重叠。物种之间的干扰竞争和资源利用性竞争显然可以忽略不计，这可能是由于体型相似和资源丰富度高所致。因此，圣华金小狐和其他物种似乎在城市环境中同域共存，从而形成了一个显著增加的圣华金小狐种群，这有利于该濒危物种在其整个分布范围内的保护和恢复。
