This project will address conservation of the SAN joaquin kit FOX through non-invasive fecal sampling

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.615) program will address conservation of the San Joaquin kit fox through non-invasive fecal sampling. The $537,868 award to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) runs from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027. Key activities include developing genetic markers to simplify population monitoring, setting up field stations to collect fecal samples, using genetic techniques to estimate kit fox population size on four conservation areas, and analyzing fecal samples for rodenticide exposure. The project aims to provide critical data on current kit fox population demographics to inform recovery strategies, as well as fill gaps in understanding rodenticide impacts on this endangered species.

The project involves multiple entities leveraging fecal samples to estimate the population of kit foxes on four conservation areas as well as to examine rodenticide risks. Activities include developing a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms that will allow for simplification of genetic sampling, the setup and sampling of field stations to collect scats, using genetic techniques to estimate kit FOX population size, determining whether rodenticides can be detected in fecal samples, and, finally, generating data that can be used to understand the effectiveness of current anticoagulant rodenticide legislation in california. We expect that this project will provide data on the current population demographics of kit foxes in four unmonitored populations, which is crucial to kit FOX recovery strategies. We also expect to fill crucial data gaps about the validity and interpretation of novel rodenticide exposure surveillance methods that are needed to truly assess population-level rodenticide impacts and guide future mitigation aimed at preventing non-target rodenticide exposure in kit foxes.