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Article
Age-specific survival of reintroduced swift fox in Badlands National Park and surrounding lands
Wildlife Society Bulletin
  • Indrani Sasmal, South Dakota State University
  • Robert W. Klaver, Iowa State University
  • Jonathan A. Jenks, South Dakota State University
  • Greg M. Schroeder, United States National Park Service
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
6-1-2016
DOI
10.1002/wsb.641
Abstract

In 2003, a reintroduction program was initiated at Badlands National Park (BNP), South Dakota, USA, with swift foxes (Vulpes velox) translocated from Colorado and Wyoming, USA, as part of a restoration effort to recover declining swift fox populations throughout its historical range. Estimates of age-specific survival are necessary to evaluate the potential for population growth of reintroduced populations. We used 7 years (2003–2009) of capture–recapture data of 243 pups, 29 yearlings, and 69 adult swift foxes at BNP and the surrounding area to construct Cormack–Jolly–Seber model estimates of apparent survival within a capture–mark–recapture framework using Program MARK. The best model for estimating recapture probabilities included no differences among age classes, greater recapture probabilities during early years of the monitoring effort than later years, and variation among spring, winter, and summer. Our top ranked survival model indicated pup survival differed from that of yearlings and adults and varied by month and year. The apparent annual survival probability of pups (0.47, SE = 0.10) in our study area was greater than the apparent annual survival probability of yearlings and adults (0.27, SE = 0.08). Our results indicate low survival probabilities for a reintroduced population of swift foxes in the BNP and surrounding areas. Management of reintroduced populations and future reintroductions of swift foxes should consider the effects of relative low annual survival on population demography.

Comments

This article is published as Sasmal, Indrani, Robert W. Klaver, Jonathan A. Jenks, and Greg M. Schroeder. "Age‐specific survival of reintroduced swift fox in Badlands National Park and surrounding lands." Wildlife Society Bulletin 40, no. 2 (2016): 217-223, doi: 10.1002/wsb.641.

Rights
Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Indrani Sasmal, Robert W. Klaver, Jonathan A. Jenks and Greg M. Schroeder. "Age-specific survival of reintroduced swift fox in Badlands National Park and surrounding lands" Wildlife Society Bulletin Vol. 40 Iss. 2 (2016) p. 217 - 233
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robert-klaver/55/