Data from: Balancing act: Persistence of the red fox in the dog-dominated landscapes of the trans-Himalaya
Data files
Apr 28, 2025 version files 359.55 KB
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compiled_diel.csv
332.06 KB
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Foraging_Data_combined.csv
6.77 KB
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fox_dog_spiti_r_code.R
17.47 KB
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README.md
3.03 KB
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spiti_fox_dog.Rproj
218 B
Abstract
Free-ranging dogs pose a growing threat to wildlife globally. In the Indian Trans-Himalaya, growing populations of dogs raise concerns about their impact on native carnivores. Red foxes in Spiti Valley share spatial and dietary niches with dogs, despite intraguild killing pressure. Sampling across a gradient of dog density, we investigated two potential mechanisms that might enable the observed sympatry between foxes and dogs. Using a cue-based foraging station experiment, we investigated the use of anti-predatory vigilance by foxes. We also used a camera trap array, to assess temporal partitioning between the two canids and the relative abundance of foxes across the dog density gradient. Foxes only increased vigilance in response to simulated dog presence at sites with high dog-densities. We found that temporal overlap was low across the dog-density gradient. Fox relative abundances increased with dog density, indicating a lack of apparent top-down effects by dogs. Our findings suggest that while temporal partitioning may reduce encounters, heightened vigilance in high-risk areas is crucial for co-existence. We highlight the complex behavioural mechanisms facilitating the persistence of a generalist mesocarnivore in the face of increasing pressure from free-ranging dogs and underscore the need for similar investigations in other human-dominated landscapes.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xsj3tx9rv
Description of the data and file structure
This data was collected as part of a master's dissertation, which was aimed at understanding observed sympatry between free-ranging dogs and red foxes, despite apparent niche overlaps. We sampled fox responses along a gradient of dog density, and did the following:
- We set up a camera trap array to confirm previously reported temporal overlap between the two species from a few locations, as well as understand how dog density might change temporal dynamics between the two species.
- We performed a foraging station experiment to investigate if foxes can modulate vigilance in response to dog presence, and how such reactive behavioural responses change with dog densitiy.
Files and variables
File: Foraging_Data_combined.csv
Description: Contains data from a foraging station experiment, where vigilance responses of red foxes were collected. We used 4 treatments, dog barks, dog scat, cow moos (control) and cow dung (control), to understand if foxes modulate vigilance in response to imminent vs past dog activity. We conducted these foraging station experiments across 6 sites, which represented a gradient of dog density. This datasheet only contains vigilance times from the first visits of foxes to foraging stations (undepleted food at the station).
Variables
- Date of Baiting: the date of the experimental run/date when we placed the bait at foraging stations
- Treatment: which treatment was placed at the foraging station
- Replicate: sequential number, counts which replicate for a particular treatment an observation belongs to
- dog_category: The dog density category of the site.
- hup_prop: the proportion of time spent by a fox with its head up, and being vigilant while at a foraging station.
- tot_time: the total time spent by the fox at the foraging station (seconds)
- hup_time: the amount of time spent by a fox with its head up, and being vigilant while at a foraging station (seconds)
File: compiled_diel.csv
Description: sheet containing capture data from camera traps
Variables
- sl_no: serial number
- location: location identifier
- species: species identifier
- datetime: date and time of detection
- loc_id: camera identifier
- dog_category: dog density category of location
- notes: any notes about the observation
File: fox_dog_spiti_r_code.R
Description: Code for generating graphs and datacleaning
File: spiti_fox_dog.Rproj
Description: Rproject for executing code
Code/software
I have included code that cleans the data, performs comparisons and generates graphs for visualization. Please run the code through the associated R project
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- None
Data was derived from the following sources:
- NA
There are two datasets.
- Dataset for diel activity. This dataset was collected through an array of 29 camera traps which were deployed around areas of dog activity. We list the species ID of detected animals, the date and time of detection, and camera identifier. This data has been processed. We excluded consequetive species detections that were within 30 minutes of each other to ensure temporal independance of our observations.
- Dataset for foraging station experiment. This dataset was collected through 6 foraging stations, where red foxes were exposed to 2 stimuli simulating dog presence, and 2 control stimuli. We enumerated the proportion of time these foxes spent with their heads raised (proportion of time spent being vigilant) under each treatment.