Estimating densities for sympatric kit foxes ( Vulpes macrotis )and coyotes ( Canis latrans ) using noninvasive genetic sampling

Kit fox ( Vulpes macrotis Merriam, 1888) populations in the Great Basin Desert have declined and are of increasing concern for managers. Increasing coyote ( Canis latrans Say, 1823) abundance and subsequent intraguild interactions may be one cause for this decline. Concurrent monitoring of carnivores is challenging and therefore rarely conducted. One possible solution for monitoring elusive carnivores is using noninvasive genetic sampling. We used noninvasive genetic sampling to collect fecal DNA from kit foxes and coyotes and estimate their densities from 2013–2014 in Utah, USA. We identified individuals based on microsatellite genotypes and estimated density with multi-session spatially explicit capture-recapture models. Mean kit fox density was 0.02 foxes/km 2 , while coyote densities were up to four times greater (0.07–0.08 coyotes/km 2 ). Kit foxes densities were significantly lower than densities in the 1950s, but were comparable to estimates from the late 1990s, sugges...