Livestock guardian dogs patrol Texas grasslands to help conserve swift fox
Researchers in the Texas Panhandle are testing whether livestock guardian dogs can protect the state's smallest fox from predators on the Rita Blanca National Grasslands.
Dogs may reduce coyote attacks
Livestock guardian dogs currently patrol cattle herds grazing near the Rita Blanca National Grasslands. Their presence might increase survival chances for the swift fox, a native species believed to number fewer than 250 statewide. Coyotes often use taller vegetation as cover to hunt these small animals.
Habitat loss threatens the species
Only between 40 percent and 50 percent of the shortgrass prairie ecosystem remains in the region. This habitat fragmentation allows coyotes to find easier access to swift fox populations. The decline of this diminutive fox is linked to changes in the landscape.
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