NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1040966
6 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018 By Melissa Panella, Wildlife Biologist NEBRASKA'S THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES Nose to the wind, stealthily still, he looks onward cautiously while trying to avoid the threat he hears nearby. The moment he senses that he's been discovered, he bolts out of sight, far enough away to seek the safety of cover. Many of us, or perhaps our pet dogs, have felt the excitement of seeing a red or gray fox's fluffy tail and perked ears as it runs across a park or even our lawn, but fewer of us have had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the species known as the swift fox, Vulpes velox. The swift fox is a state endangered species that constructs dens, or modifies burrows of other animals, to use as earthen shelters year-round in the shortgrass prairies of western Nebraska. It is much smaller than its wild canine cousins in the state; in fact, it can claim fame as the smallest native canid in North America. Most adult swift foxes weigh little more than 5 pounds, significantly lighter than the average dog. Indeed "swift," they may run at speeds up to 40 mph. Their diets consists of wild berries, seeds, mice, insects, and other small prey. Some farmers enjoy seeing them, largely because much of a swift fox's diet consists of pests to agriculture. Fur records from the late 19th century indicate that swift foxes were once a common part of the wildlife community in the Great Plains. But over time, unregulated harvest, loss of habitat, poisoning and a disruption in the food web likely as a result of too many potent pesticides, led to a decline in numbers of swift fox. Biologists have been monitoring swift foxes in Nebraska to better understand their locations and behaviors. On-the- ground conservation projects include the removal of invasive trees and shrubs from the prairie, prescribed fire and strategic grazing plans, which are all actions that maintain healthy grasslands and can also benefit long-term ranching operations in western Nebraska. Drivers can reduce the number of mortalities of foxes by using caution in areas where they are known to live. Swift foxes are vulnerable when they are scavenging roadkill, either on the roadway or in adjacent ditches. It is also important to release any swift foxes that are accidentally trapped and follow all trapping regulations. Swift foxes were extirpated from parts of their native range, but conservation efforts in Nebraska and elsewhere, including Montana, South Dakota, and southern Canada, are helping to restore them in the Great Plains. ■ PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG