A robust population of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) is present in the city of Bakersfield, CA. In this urban environment, the foxes are sympatric with more mesocarnivore species including ones that they are unlikely to encounter in natural habitats. Thus, we hypothesized that endoparasite prevalence would be higher among urban foxes. We necropsied kit foxes found dead in urban and non-urban environments and examined them for gastrointestinal parasites (e.g., nematodes and cestodes) and fecal protozoans (Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp.) to determine prevalence. Overall prevalence for kit foxes with at least one nematode or cestode species was 81.6% for non-urban foxes and 71.8% for urban foxes (p=0.36). Significantly more (p<0.01) non-urban foxes had nematodes (65.8%) compared with urban foxes (28.2%) while prevalence (55.3% and 61.5%, respectively) was similar (p=0.65) for cestodes. Cryptosporidium spp. prevalence trended higher among non-urban foxes (51.7%) compared to urban foxes (36.2%) and Giardia spp. prevalence among non-urban (58.6%) and urban foxes (34.0%) was marginally higher (p=0.06). Contrary to our prediction, non-urban foxes exhibited higher prevalence of endoparasitism compared to urban foxes. One possible explanation is that prey species that may play a role in parasite life-cycles are more abundant in non-urban habitats.

Brian Cypher is the former Director and current Research Ecologist with the Endangered Species Recovery Program at CSU-Stanislaus. His primary interest is the ecology and conservation of wild canids. After completing his Ph.D. in Zoology at Southern Illinois University, he came to California in 1990 to work with endangered San Joaquin kit foxes, but also has conducted research on a variety of other rare species, including kangaroo rats, shrews, antelope squirrels, pocket mice, and even plants. However, his main emphasis has always been the ecology and conservation of San Joaquin kit foxes.