FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Oct. 22, 2015) -- A team of wildlife biologists from Fort Drum is tracking the movements and habits of wild canine species in the cantonment area.
The study, intended to gather information about the concentration of coyotes living within the confines of the Fort Drum cantonment area, shifted gears when trapping showed a different trend.
"We found that we weren't catching any coyotes, but we were catching lots of red foxes," said Miranda Monica, Fort Drum Public Works Environmental Division wildlife biologist. "Yes, we wanted to catch coyotes, but at the same time, I can now say that cantonment has lots of foxes but it does not have a lot of coyotes."
There are many reasons for this, Monica said. The diets of coyotes and red foxes are very similar, she noted. In addition, coyotes and foxes establish their own home range and they do not like to share their home area with other canines.
"Red foxes -- specifically -- and coyotes do not mix," she said. "If you find a red fox in the area, you can almost guarantee you won't find a coyote unless the fox is just passing through."
A major benefit of the shift from a coyote study to a research project focused on red foxes is that the sightings of the species were becoming more frequent, and some community members had expressed concern over their proximity to more developed areas of post. Although these foxes are being observed in close proximity to housing and workplaces, they are still seeking out wooded areas, Monica said.
To obtain more information about the animals' movements and habits, Monica and her team tagged and collared 10 foxes -- including one gray fox. The collars record information about the movements and home ranges of these canines.
"Even though their home ranges here on cantonment are in very developed areas -- we can see it in our GPS information we have -- because there are a lot of roads and buildings, they will pick out the wooded areas," she said.
Monica said that while some community members were worried about these frequent sightings, the existence of the red fox on post may have some benefits to those who live and work within the cantonment area.
"These are predators that feed on small mammals," she said. "People think that ticks are primarily found on deer. Small mammals are really the bigger vector of ticks, and a main component of red fox, gray fox and coyote diet is small animals."
Although studies regarding the tick population on Fort Drum are ongoing, Monica said she believes there is a possibility that the foxes living on the cantonment area may actually be suppressing the tick population and thus decreasing the incidence of Lyme disease.
The team was able to expand its knowledge base when Low Chee Pheng, a Fulbright scholar and graduate student at the State University of New York School of Environmental Science and Forestry began a research project in conjunction with Fort Drum's wildlife biology team.
Jacqueline Frair, assistant professor at SUNY ESF and assistant director of the Roosevelt Wildlife Station, has been studying coyotes since she first came to the university nine years ago. Frair said Low's work, which is also focused on tracking the coyote species within the training areas of post, has expanded the scope of the study.
"This study, specifically, is trying to look at how red foxes and coyotes are differentiating space across a gradient from really intensive human areas out into a more wilderness area," she said. "We're interested in the basic ecology and space and prey use differences between the different species."
Monica said that Low's research has been very useful to the Fort Drum team.
"She is helping us to see if we can get a rough estimate of what our populations of foxes and coyotes are. From the track plots (sandy areas used to obtain canine footprints), (Low's) trail cameras and also the collars, we can get a more inclusive look at the population density," Monica said.
This information will be valuable as the Environmental Division makes management decisions.
Frair said that the study has been mutually beneficial. Low's research can provide vital information to the team at Fort Drum, while giving her an opportunity to learn about how wildlife management is conducted in different world regions.
"She has worked as a professional in Malaysia with the Wildlife Conservation Society for a number of years," Frair said. "Being able to interact with North American wildlife managers and really learn our culture and how we manage populations is tremendous in helping to increase her breadth of knowledge so she can take that back with her."
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