The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is a small fox species endemic to the threatened desert grasslands of the western United States and northern Mexico. Little information exists on the status or distribution of kit fox in Texas, or their co-occurrence with an intraguild predator: coyotes. However, researchers have documented population declines in the closely related swift fox (Vuples velox) in the Texas Panhandle, largely attributed to loss and fragmentation of habitat and competition with predators. Objectives of this project were to 1) survey areas of suitable kit fox habitat using remote trail cameras to detect kit fox and coyotes, 2) estimate kit fox detection and occupancy rates to create a predictive occupancy map for the Trans-Pecos, and 3) determine species co-occurrence patterns between kit fox and coyotes.
