Swift Fox Behaviour and Conservation Safi K. Darden University of Copenhagen

Swift Fox Habitat and Range

Talk Overview Can we apply IBP models to research in areas of swift fox behaviour and swift fox conservation? i. Swift fox behaviour ii. Carnivore conservation -Communication networks -Vocal identity coding

Swift Fox Behaviour: Spatial Organization

Swift Fox Behaviour: Communication  Long-range vocal communication using the barking sequence  Olfactory communication

Communication Networks

Behavioural Questions  How are the foxes using vocal and scent marking behaviour in the spatial environment?  Can we predict patterns of spatial organization based on signaling behaviour?

Carnivore Conservation  Population dynamics – counting and monitoring populations and sub-groups of populations  Requires accurate census methods with some degree of sub-group resolution and evaluation of census methods  individual discrimination  sub-group discrimination

 individual discrimination  sub-group discrimination Carnivore Censuses  Traditional methods involve trapping and marking and are invasive  Non-invasive methods using natural variation are promising but less common

Vocal Identity Coding in the Swift Fox  Multivariate test (DFA) for individual and gender differences  Over 98% of barking sequences were classified to the correct individual  Over 96% of barking sequences were classified to the correct sex  individual discrimination  sub-group discrimination

Conservation Questions  How might we design a census technique using the elicitation of barking sequences from foxes in the population to get the most accurate results?  Can we use the information extracted from barking sequences to evaluate existing census methods?

Acknowledgements Torben Dabelsteen Simon Boel Pedersen Cochrane Ecological Institute