Although several projects lend themselves to summer research projects for veterinary students (see web sites below), an especially exciting set of possibilities involves research on the Sacramento Valley red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Through population-genetic research in this lab, we recently discovered this population—long thought to be introduced from the East—is in fact native to its current range in California. In collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Game, we are currently investigating the status and threats to this population, including genetic health, surveys for parasites, disease exposure, reproduction, mortality factors, and basic ecology. This population also exhibits low genetic diversity at non-functional loci indicating a need to investigate the possibility of depressed MHC diversity and disease susceptibility.
For more information on the laboratory and projects, visit http://anemone.vgl.ucdavis.edu/cdcg/home.php or http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/cdcg/home.php or contact Ben Sacks at bnsacks@ucdavis.edu.