How to translate text using browser tools
1 September 2010 Non-Invasive Genetic Identification of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes in the Shiretoko National Park, Eastern Hokkaido, Japan
Takuya Oishi, Kohji Uraguchi, Ryuichi Masuda
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

In order to assess the genetic usefulness of feces that were obtained from field, we conducted genetic identification by microsatellite analysis on fecal samples of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) collected in the Shiretoko National Park, Hokkaido. Consequently, 59 fecal samples resulted in 22 as the minimum number of individuals. The cumulative P(ID)sibs in the 22 samples was less than 0.01. Two pairs of fecal samples having the identical genotypes (P(ID)sibs < 0.01) were considered to be dropped by the same foxes, and the distribution of these feces was almost overlapped with the home range of one fox, revealed by a previous study. Although few reports had revealed the absolute number of red foxes in field, the present study showed that the genetic analysis of their feces is useful for estimating a presumable number of individuals in the area. However, the lower genotyping success rates (23.3–69.8%) and genotyping reproducibility (53.5–88.4%) indicate the difficulty of genetic analysis by using these fecal samples. In order to improve the efficiency of the analysis, it may be effective to select and use a marker set which has smaller allele sizes, because the genotyping success rates and reproducibility increased when the average allele size decreased.

© the Mammalogical Society of Japan
Takuya Oishi, Kohji Uraguchi, and Ryuichi Masuda "Non-Invasive Genetic Identification of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes in the Shiretoko National Park, Eastern Hokkaido, Japan," Mammal Study 35(3), 201-207, (1 September 2010). https://doi.org/10.3106/041.035.0306
Received: 8 March 2010; Accepted: 1 May 2010; Published: 1 September 2010
KEYWORDS
feces
Genetic identification
non-invasive method
Vulpes vulpes
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top