Cypher Brian L, Gabaldon Alyse, Kelly Erica C, Westall Tory L, Deatherage Nicole A
Endangered Species Recovery Program, California State University-Stanislaus, 1 University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jan 16;15(2):239. doi: 10.3390/ani15020239.
A robust population of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (; SJKFs) occurs in the city of Bakersfield, CA. In 2013, sarcoptic mange was detected and significantly reduced SJKF abundance. Dens may be a mode of mange mite transmission. Kit foxes use dens daily and sometimes share dens. Also, mange mites are able to live off-host in den soil for multiple days. We monitored den use patterns of 37 marked kit foxes. Radio-collared foxes were tracked to dens and then those dens were monitored with cameras for 7-day sessions, the period of time mites might persist in the dens. Other foxes used the same den as a collared fox during 89.0% of sessions and the mean number was 2.5 foxes. An average of 1.8 foxes used a den concurrently with the collared fox. During 120-day intervals, the minimum survival time for kit foxes contracting mange, collared foxes used a mean of 7.6 dens, 9.8 other foxes used the same dens, and 7.3 foxes used the dens concurrently with the collared foxes. Thus, the potential for kit foxes to transmit mange through den sharing in the urban environment is considerable and may explain the rapid spread of mange throughout this population.
加利福尼亚州贝克斯菲尔德市存在数量可观的濒危圣华金小狐（SJKFs）种群。2013年，检测到疥螨病，圣华金小狐的数量显著减少。巢穴可能是疥螨传播的一种途径。小狐每天都会使用巢穴，有时还会共用巢穴。此外，疥螨能够在巢穴土壤中脱离宿主存活数天。我们监测了37只带标记的小狐的巢穴使用模式。给佩戴无线电项圈的狐狸追踪到巢穴，然后用摄像头对这些巢穴进行为期7天的监测，这是螨虫可能在巢穴中存活的时间段。在89.0%的监测时段里，其他狐狸与佩戴项圈的狐狸使用同一个巢穴，平均数量为2.5只狐狸。平均有1.8只狐狸与佩戴项圈的狐狸同时使用一个巢穴。在120天的时间段内，这是感染疥螨病的小狐的最短存活时间，佩戴项圈的狐狸平均使用7.6个巢穴，9.8只其他狐狸使用相同的巢穴，7.3只狐狸与佩戴项圈的狐狸同时使用这些巢穴。因此，在城市环境中，小狐通过共用巢穴传播疥螨病的可能性相当大，这或许可以解释疥螨病在整个种群中迅速传播的原因。
