Risky home with easy food: Denning of a generalistic and widely distributed carnivore red fox

Abstract

Dens are crucial for the survival of all canids, however, for a meso-carnivore like red fox, denning is of greater importance as they utilize dens all throughout the year for protection, resting and breeding. The red fox known for its generalist and opportunistic behavior and extremely good adaptability to the dynamic anthropogenic changes is the most widespread and successful wild land carnivore. With an ever-growing human population the choice of space for wild animals is limited and such adaptability is important for species survival. In this study we examined the denning preferences and den characteristics of red fox. Intensive surveys were conducted across two study sites Chiktan and Changthang. Foxes preferred to den on mountain slopes (43.70 {+/-} 3.38 SE) where human disturbances were minimal. The red fox chose den sites closer to human settlements, water and road as compared to random points (Pillais trace = .487, F= 31.014 and P = 3.497e-14), which are risky and may expose the pups to humans but also provide the advantage of procuring anthropogenic food subsidies. In Changthang, foxes preferred to den at a greater distance (936 {+/-} 223 meters) from human settlements as compared to Chiktan (403 {+/-} 50 meters). The present research is of broad significance, given the increasing presence of human settlements within original animal ranges, even in remote harsh environments like the Trans-Himalaya.