Adult male emigration and a female-based social organization in swift foxes , Vulpes velox

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Mote, Kevin
Copyright Year	2017
Abstract	Members of the family Canidae are distinguished from other carnivore families by pair bonding and male care of the young. Because of the importance of food provisioning and territorial defence by males, social structure among canids is shared or even dominated by males. However, small, insectivorous species of canids show little male parental care, although whether social structure differs from other canids is unknown. We combined data from three independent research projects on a small canid, the swift fox, to help elucidate the social organization of this species. Based on data on movements of 35 adult mated pairs and the fate of litters, we found that adult females maintained territories and family structure, whereas adult males tended to emigrate. This is the first evidence of a female-based social organization among any canid species. This type of social organization probably resulted from the decreased importance of territorial defence and food provisioning by males, as their diet is primarily insectivorous during summer when young are weaned. Our results, along with others, indicate that variations in social structure among canid species are strongly influenced by the importance of food provisioning and territorial defence by males. Corresponding author. Correspondence and present address: J. F. Kamler, Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 17-230 Bia owie a, Poland. ANIMAL BWVIWR. 20M. 67, 699-702 d n . 1 0 . 1 0 1 6 i ~ ~ v . Z M 3 D 8 . 0 1 Z Available online at www.sciencedirectcorn Adult male emigration and a female-based social organization in swift foxes, Vulpes velox I A N F. KAMLER., WARREN 0. BALLARD*, ERIC M. GESEt, ROBERT L. HARRISONS, SEIJA KARKI5 6r KEVIN MOTEf* 'Department of Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbodi tU.S. Department of Apriculmre, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Forest, Range, and Wildlife, Utah State University, Logan tDepamneot of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque §Department of Fisheries and W~ldlife, Utah State University, Logan "Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Pilot Point (Received 8 May 2003; initial acceptance 26 rune 2W3; fnal accepauue 12 August 2003; M. number 7703) Members of the family Canidae are distinguished from other carnivore families by pair bonding and male care of the young. Because of the importance of food provisioning and territorial defence by males, social structure among canids is shared or even dominated by males. However, small, insectivorous species of canids show little male parental care, although whether social structure differs from other canids is unknown. We combined data from three independent research projects on a small canid, the swift fox, to help elucidate the social organization of this species. Based on data on movements of 35 adult mated pairs and the fate of litters, we found that adult females maintained territories and family structure, whereas adult males tended to emigrate. This is the first evidence of a female-based social organization among any canid spedes. This type of social organization probably resulted from the decreased importance of territorial defence and food provisioning by males, as their diet is primarily insectivorous during summer when young are weaned. Ourresults, along with others, indicate that variations in sodal structure among canid species are strongly influenced by the Importance of food provisioning and territorial defence by males. 0 2 W me Ascdobon fn the Sbldy of Animl E&~~oYT . Publirhed by Ekevim Ltd. AN righn m d . Most species within the Carnivora are solitary. Under this 1989) and red foxes (Zabel & Taggart 19891, and breedsocial system, only adult females maintain a fm ing females dispersed among grey wolves (Prim & Mech smcture with yotmg, whereas males are solitary and do 1981), blak-baked jackals (Moehlman 1989) and not show male parental care. The major exceptions are coyotes (Gese 1998). This indicates that food provisionwithin the family Canidae, as all these species show pair ing by males was necessary for the survlval of young, bonding and paternal care (Kleiman 6r Eisenberg 1973). and males themselves were important to the territory Gwing to the importance of food provisioning and maintenance and social stability of family groups. territorial defence by males, social organization and group Among small and insectivorous canid spedes, howeva, st~cb l re of most canid spedes appear to be shared by the lmportance of males within family groups appears to both sexes. For example, among grey wolves, Cants lupus, be reduced. For example, female bat+ared foxes, Otocym coyotes, Canis hlrans, blad-backed jacltals, Canis meso. megalofis, are known to maintain solitary territories and mela, and red foxes, lrulpes wiper, adult males maintain rear litters in the absence of males fMaas 1993). Similarly, territories and provide food to young and nursing females male Blanford's foxes, Vulpes cana, do not provide fwd to (Fritts & Mech 1981; MoeNman 1989; Zabel & Taggart young, although they are often associated with the pups 1989; Gese 1998). Consequently, after the death of adult (Geffen & Macdonald 1992). However, whether the males, litten failed among black-backed j a M s (Moehhan decreased importance of males among these species has any effem on family structure and social organization is Cmrerpondence and pmmt odmw: I. F. ~ornler, Mammal ~ e s ~ l r h unknown. mtftute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 17-230 Bial&a, p o r n The swift fox is a small canid (2-3 kg) that occu~s in the (en&L ~erCnY, tmoi l .mm). western grasslands of North America. Its diet varies 699 W03-3472/03/13O.WIO o Z W 4 ~ A r m i n ~ ~ ~ e ~ ~ ~ ~ . P u b I W t b y U w i n L M A U n b h b R w l w d seasonally, with a predominance (SO%) of insects during summer (Kitchen et al. 1999; Lemons 2001; Harrison 2003). Swift foxes are primarily nocturnal and are one of the mos. ;en-dependent canid species in North America (Egoscue 1979). Research on swift foxes has increased recently because of concerns over reductions in their numbers and distribution (Kitchen et al. 1999; Harrison 2003; Kamler et al. 2003), although details of their social organization are laddng. Populations of swift foxes in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas suffer high mortalities caused by predation from coyotes (Kitchen et al. 1999; Harrison 2003; Kamler et al. 2003); this provides a unique opportunity to examine the impacts of adult deaths on family structures. We analysed data from three independent research projects on swift foxes in the western United States to help eluadate the importance of both sexes to the social organization of this small and insectivorous canid species.
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Subject Keyword	Academy Canid herpesvirus 1 Care-of address Carnivore (software) Cessation of life Coyotes Family canidae Fisheries Foxes Gray Platelet Syndrome Health Services Research Insecta Jackals Lemon - dietary Lupus Vulgaris MELAS Syndrome McGurk effect Measles-rubella vaccine (live) Mesoscopic physics Mortality Vital Statistics Movement Patient Holding Stretchers Phase II/III Trial Plethodon cinereus Population Prim's algorithm Provisioning Pyschological Bonding Science Social structure Swift (programming language) Vulpes macrotis Wolves eric mating research grants social organization
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