Swift Fox Diaries

Researchers are spending 365 days a year for 3 years in the field observing swift foxes. Take a look at entries from the field journals of Axel Moehrenschlanger, a young Canadian Ph.D. student. In 1995, Axel trapped, radio collared and then tracked 23 swift foxes throughout the year. The 23 included an adult male named Rootie.

Rootie has been the most cunning fox we have collared. It was virtually impossible to find his dens because when tracked on foot, he would just circle the observers. It seemed like he was mocking us. He also stole food from live-traps in a manner that, to this day, remains a mystery.

In May of 1995, the world seemed to be a perfect place for Rootie, a male swift fox, and his mate Whizz. Several foxes had perished in the tough spring, but these two had mated and produced three pups. One day, however, when Whizz was out hunting, she was grabbed by a golden eagle. Although she was able to escape from its claws and crawl down a hole, her injuries were too great, and she died.

This left Rootie on his own to care for the pups. Many male mammals do not care for their young. Some, like polar bears and lions, will even try to kill the young. Rootie jumped to the task of feeding his three pups. As often is the case, two of them died, but one strong fellow we call Lance survived.

Sometimes the field researcher must face difficult challenges... Spending the entire year on the Canadian prairie means extreme weather conditions. Temperatures range from a balmy 35° C in the summer to frigid -50° C in the dead of winter. It also means dealing with mosquitoes. Axel claims that this spring there were so many of them that in one swat of his arm he counted (killed) over 100 mosquitoes!

Winters are particularly challenging. One afternoon last winter he feared for his life when he went out to retrieve the carcass of a female swift fox he knew had died. This was important to determine cause of death. He knew he was taking a risk as it was beginning to get dark and snow was blowing up, but thought he'd have enough time to get the carcass and return safely. While he was out on his skidoo (snow mobile), a storm blew up, and he got lost. The snow was so deep that he and his skidoo would get buried in snow drifts. It got to a point, where after pulling himself and the skidoo out of the depths of yet another drift, he feared he wouldn't make it. Fortunately he spotted a fence-line he recognized, and followed it to a road.