Our analyses of the kit fox sighting elements in the California Natural Diversity Database and other data suggest the possible misidentification of coyote pups as kit fox. During the summer months, coyote pups look remarkably similar to adult kit foxes; both have black-tipped tails and large ears relative to the body size. As coyote pups grow, there is a period of time where the pup weight approximates that of an adult kit fox. With an average weight increase of about 0.31 kg/week, coyote pups are ~2 kg during June, July, and August. During this time, juvenile coyotes superficially resemble kit foxes during spotlighting sessions, and it may be challenging for biologists to differentiate coyote pups from kit foxes at a time when both are present on the landscape.
|
