Friends of the Island Fox

 Are island spotted skunks genetically different enough from mainland spotted skunks to warrant species status? FIF 2022 Research Grant recipient Julia Owen is probing the island spotted skunk genome. Are island foxes crossing into the territory of other island foxes to access beach foods on Santa Rosa Island? FIF 2021 Research Grant recipient Katie Elder and recipient Juliann Schamel continue to investigate island fox territory size and diet. Are you investigating island foxes, prey species, Channel Island ecosystem dynamics, public education and attitudes toward island fox conservation, or any topic relating to island fox survival and a healthy island ecosystem? Apply for FIF's 2023 Island Fox Research GrantDownload Application Grants will be considered for up to $7,000Application Deadline August 28 

Friends of the Island is taking applications through August for theFIF 2023 Research GrantDownload APPLICATIONFrom dietary investigation linked with territory use to microbes affecting island fox health, new science is revealing the complex world of island foxes and the Channel Island ecosystem.This year FIF will be offering up to $7,000 in support toward research projects benefiting greater understanding of island foxes and the Channel Islands.Last year's grant project is working to reveal the Spotted Skunk Genome and how the island spotted skunk is related to mainland populations.Island spotted skunk origins may help support evolving information on how island foxes initially arrived on the Channel Islands. More on current and past FIF Funded ResearchFIF grant winners are asked to provide public updates on their work. See presentations by Fox Researchers for "Date with a Fox" programsRecently published island fox scienceImportant island fox research is funded by DONORS LIKE YOU. It's Science for Fox Sake!  

island fox pup, courtesy of I. RoseAcross the Channel Islands, island fox parents are finding hidden-away spots for a den where females can give birth to pups. Most island fox pups are born in April.How big are island fox pups at birth? Small - about the size and weight of two AA batteries.What do you call baby island foxes? Pups or kits. At birth their natal fur is a cocoa brown and their ears appear small and rounded. The pup pictured was born at a zoo in 2006–at that time there was a small breeding population in a few zoos. Island fox dens are not disturbed in the wild.When do pups emerge from the den? Typically in June. When pups come out into the world they have replaced their baby fur with a coat that looks like their parents. Island fox furHow many pups are in a litter? Typically, 2–3 pups are born in a litter. Play between siblings is an important part of learning to hunt and interact socially. If food resources are abundant, an island fox pair can have up to 5 pups. In years of drought, few pups are born. Drought year, 2021What sounds do pups make? LISTEN to the sounds of a young island fox pup.What do they eat? Like all mammals, island fox pups initially nurse milk from their mother. Gradually, they eat prey brought to them by both of their parents. The parent above is bringing 3 island deer mice back to the den. Both parents teach the pups to hunt and find plant foods. Island fox dietAre island foxes born knowing how to hunt and find food? No. All of the island foxes currently in captivity were pups that were separated from their parents and did not learn how to provide for themselves in the wild. Island fox pups need their parents to teach them how to hunt and find food.Video - Island fox pup reunited with mother 

 Small pieces of island fox whisker can reveal big data on island fox diet and behavior. Analyzing stable isotopes in slivers of island fox whisker, Juliann Schamel (Research grant recipient 2018 and 2019) has been uncovering the range of diet eaten by island foxes, drought impacts on their diet, and a new understanding of how some island foxes use marine resources.Your scientific research could also benefit island fox survival and the management of rare and endangered species.Friends of the Island Fox is accepting applications for the 2022 Island Fox Research Grant through August 29, 2022. Application More about current island fox research and recent grant recipients. Your donations help support vital island fox research. 

This is a GPS radio collar being prepped to be worn by an island fox this summer. Katie Elder was FIF's 2021 Research Grant recipient and she will be investigating territory size on Santa Rosa Island. More on her workFriends of the Island Fox is taking applications for our 2022 FIF Research Grant now through August 29, 2022. Application What will you uncover about island foxes?Research in island fox ecology is an investment in the future and island fox survival. Not only is this work important for island foxes and the Channel Islands, but also for other endangered species with small population sizes in confined geographic habitats. An island doesn't have to be surrounded by water, it can be a confined habitat surrounded by desert, a city, or some other physical barrier.Population viability calculations used for island foxes have been applied to the Sierra Nevada red fox.See more on Current FIF Funded Research ProjectsRecently published island fox discovery  Discussion on island foxes and island spotted skunksUpdate on island fox microbiome research

In 2018 Juliann Schamel was the recipient of Friends of the Island Fox's first Research Grant. Her investigation of island fox diet through stable isotopes in whiskers has evolved and deepened to look for connections between diet and surviving drought conditions. In 2019 FIF continued to fund Schamel's research as she followed the foxes and the potential of "beach foods" in their diet. It is no coincidence that the island fox above is in a beach area. If you look closely at the pile of kelp washed up on the beach, or "beach wrack," you'll see island fox foot prints all around it.photo courtesy of Nick Schooler, UCSBCombining her stable isotope research with collaborators at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Schamel has revealed that some island foxes are making use of food resources connected to sandy beaches. Tiny arthropods called "beach hoppers" live in the sand and emerge to eat the kelp that washes up on the beach. Look closely and you will see a group of them feeding on the edge of the kelp blade pictured. Some island foxes are eating these tiny, quick moving creatures. If you've turned over a clump of beach wrack and seen little hopping critters, commonly referred to as sand fleas, you've seen beach hoppers. They are not fleas at all; they are more closely related to shrimp.Juliann Schamel recently presented a poster at the 2022 Wildlife Society Conference. POSTERAnd her paper Diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands with Henry M. Page, Marine Science Institute, UCSB, et. al. was published in PLOS ONE. Read the Paper Your support for FIF helped fund this important research. The island fox and the beach hopper demonstrate an intertwining of terrestrial and marine ecosystems on the Channel Islands.

Slides of tooth specimens - S. BakerIn October 2019, Friends of the Island Fox funded a research study by Stacy Baker and Juliann Schamel, via a donation from Safari West, to investigate the use of cementum analysis as a method to determine island fox age at death. The results are in and the answer is, well mostly yes, but...To conduct the analysis 31 teeth from island foxes, whose age was known when they died, were sent off for testing. Of the 31 samples, 28 were aged accurately to within 1 year of their known age, two teeth were underestimated by 3 years and one was underestimated by 4 years. This underestimation primarily occurred with older foxes. plot of accuracy in aging island foxes using tooth cementum, S. Baker 2021The data suggests that for younger and middle age foxes–up to approximately age 7–cementum analysis can provide an accurate assessment of age at the time of death. (A more accurate assessment than estimating age by tooth wear.) For more senior island foxes, however, the accuracy of the method drops significantly. What are the factors that led to a misread of the older fox teeth? According to Baker, the study's principal scientist: "Tooth condition may perhaps play a role, as two of those teeth out of four were determined to be of lower quality for aging according to the Matson's Lab. This also may be unavoidable, since broken and decayed teeth become more prevalent as individuals age." (Matson's Laboratory in Manhattan, Montana, specializes in aging mammals using teeth.) With the limited sample size from the older fox population, more analysis is warranted to tease out the factors that may play a role in the reading error. In the wild, foxes are known to live 10–12 years on some islands. (K Dearborn personal communication)Friends of the Island Fox is committed to research that will expand understanding of island fox biology and behavior. The more we know about island foxes, the more we can protect their future. It's Science for Fox Sake! - Mike Watling, FIF President Full Report: Using Cementum Annuli to Estimate Age in Island Foxes by S. Baker, 2021  This research project was made possible through Friends of the Island Fox, a donation from Safari West, and in partnership with the National Park Service, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and UC Davis.

 (Thank you to our guest blogger Calypso N. Gagorik, MS in Biology, Northern Arizona University)On the California Channel Islands, the island fox (Urocyon littoralis) has been hypothesized to compete with the smaller-bodied island spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis amphiala). Recent declines in spotted skunk captures have led to concerns on population viability and what role the foxes may have played in the decline.(Calypso worked in the field on Santa Cruz Island with fellow researcher Victor Zhang.) From 2018–2019, we GPS and VHF collared foxes and spotted skunks living on Santa Cruz Island to assess space use and deployed remote cameras to examine interactions between the two species at spotted skunk den sites. We also explored monitoring tools for spotted skunk detection with emphasis on remote camera placement and use of scent stations.We found fox and spotted skunk seasonal home ranges were much larger than previously reported on Santa Cruz Island and spotted skunks moved around the landscape differently compared to foxes.  Spotted skunks showed restricted movement, using less than 50% of their home range over shorter time periods such as a week or month. Foxed moved widely through the landscape covering more than 50% of their home range over the course of a week. During this time, we collected the first photo evidence that foxes may be disturbing resting sites of spotted skunks during the day. We also found that remote cameras placed on drainage bottoms may be more effective in detecting skunks. We discourage the use of scents at camera stations as foxes appear to be monopolizing the stations by repeated marking.Our knowledge and understanding of spotted skunk ecology are still limited due to the many challenges of studying a cryptic species. We encourage further studies be conducted on spotted skunks, particularly focusing on interactions of foxes and spotted skunks at den sites.Calypso Gagorik, MS BiologyRead the full thesis: Spacial Use Patterns And Management Recommendations For Two Endemic California Channel Island Mesocarnivores, The Island Spotted Skunk (Spilogale gracilis amphiala) and the Island Spotted Skunk (Urocyon littoralis)Friends of the Island Fox provided financial assistance to this research project. The deadline for the FIF 2021 Research Grant is August 31, 2021  More Island Fox Research

 $5000 in research grant funding is nothing to stick your tongue out at.The deadline for Friends of the Island Fox's 2021 Research Grant is fast approaching.Download FIF 2021 Research Grant Application Applications will be accepted through August 31. Join the innovative researchers discovering new information about island foxes and the Channel Islands.

The Fort Collins, CO Foxes baseball team has been raising awareness about island foxes since 2012.When the team takes to the field on June 25, 2021 against the Rough Riders, as part of the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League, $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to Friends of the Island Fox to support island fox conservation.There will be a Free Give-Away - Download the FlyerGo Foxes!  Have a great season and let's vaccinate some island foxes!$20 vaccinates an island fox against deadly canine distemper virus and rabies.Island foxes are good runners. They could run the bases faster than a human, but they might bite the baseball. Your club or organization can help island foxes too! Contact Pat Meyer at pat@islandfox.org 

Applications for Friends of the Island Fox's 2021 Research Grant are now available.Slide of tooth sample from deceased island foxStructures in island fox teeth may help clarify island fox lifespan.Whisker samples can provide data on island fox diet.Part of FIF's mission is to support research that will help build scientific understanding of island fox biology, health, behavior, ecology, and any aspect that influences the species' long-term survival. FIF welcomes applications for the $5,000 available in research funding.  Download FIF 2021 Research Grant ApplicationApplications will be accepted through August 31, 20212020 Grant Recipient:  Alexandra DeCandia - Island Fox MicrobiomePrevious Research Grant Recipients and other island fox researchYour donations to Friends of the Island Foxhelp make this research grant possible  

Fox species overlap in many parts of North America, which can make it difficult to distinguish one species from the next. In California alone, there are four fox species:island fox - seen in the wild only on the Channel Islandsgray foxred foxkit foxThe last three occur only on the mainland. If you are fortunate to see a small to medium canid in the field, you should ask yourself a few questions to aid in identification:fox silhouette coyote silhouette1. Is it a coyote or a fox? Coyotes now inhabit most of North America, but they are typically larger than foxes and appear more dog-like with a larger face. The coyote tail is also shorter for their body than a fox's. While most foxes have distinct color markings to aid in identification, coyotes do not.If it is a fox: 2. Start with the tip of the tail:White tail tip: Probably a red fox. Even if the fur coloring is not red or cinnamon, a fox with a white-tipped tail is a red fox.  The image to the right shows a "silver fox," an almost black-colored fox with white-tipped guard hairs beside a red fox. Both show a white tail tip. The silver fox is a color phase of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Most foxes used in the fur trade are red foxes. They are bred for various colorations. (FIF's red fox pelts are used in education. The silver fox pelt was rescued from a 1940s coat and the wild red fox was a car strike victim in 2005.)  gray fox; ancestor of the island foxBlack tail tip:With a black stripe all the way down the back - you are looking at a gray fox. (If you are on the Channel Islands, it's an island fox.)island fox on Catalina Island kit fox; courtesy of K. Schafer Just a black tail tip: Consider your location.The Gemini foxes, the kit fox and the swift fox, seldom overlap in range. If you are located in parts of New Mexico and adjacent parts of Texas, big ears will separate the kit fox from the swift fox. In general, understanding the habitat where you see the fox will provide a clue as to the species you're observing.No, definitive tail tip coloration: Arctic fox Arctic foxes are easy to identify by their white coat in winter or their compact body size with small rounded ears and no contrasting marks on the tail.Use this downloadable Identifying the Foxes of North America chart to help you know your local foxes. In this series of posts, we only touched the basics for each of the species covered. A list of research used in writing this project can be found at the end of each post. These resources are a great starting point for more information about the foxes that may live in your area. In addition, reading the abstracts of research articles provides wonderful insights into the latest information regarding a particular species. While the thought of wading through heavy scientist language may make your head spin, the abstract's concise language will slow that spin, allowing you the opportunity to glean useful information to assist in the better understanding of the fox you're interested in. It will also help sort fox fact from fiction.Thank you to FIF Board Members - Mike Watling and Lara Brenner for this series on North American Foxes. Series installments:How is the Island Fox Unique?Red Fox: Life on the Edge Gemini Foxes: Kit Fox and Swift FoxArctic Fox: Fox of the TundraThe Island Fox's Origin - The Gray Fox  

Friends of the Island Fox is currently accepting applications for the 2020 FIF Research Grant The mission of Friends of the Island Fox (FIF) is to bring together conservation professionals and concerned private citizens to create public awareness about the island fox and to raise funds to support education, research, and conservation measures to ensure the island fox's survival and protect its island home. In 2020, Friends of the Island Fox is making $5,000 available in grant funding to researchers working on projects that align with our mission.2020 Grant Application pdf Applications will be accepted through August 31, 2020. Recipients will be notified September 28, 2020.The more we know about island foxes, the safer their future will be.Previous FIF Research Grant Recipients2018: "The Channel Island Food Web–A Decade of Dietary Resource Use in Channel Island Fox: Implications for Reproduction, Recruitment, and Resilience in a Changing Climate." - Juliann Schamel, 2019 Update2019:"A Decade of Seasonal Dietary Resource Use in Channel Island Fox: Implications for Reproduction, Recruitment, and Resilience in a Changing Climate." - Juliann Schamel "Assessing Cementum Annulation in teeth for determining age at death." - Stacy Baker and Juliann Schamel Your donations to Friends of the Island Foxhelp make this research grant possible

In 2018 most island fox populations were stable, but not without risk factors. As expected, high temperatures and below average rainfall in 2018 contributed to lower pup numbers and reduced adult survivorship across all islands. As first documented on Catalina Island, island fox reproduction is linked to annual rainfall. Fortunately, normal rainfall levels in 2019 should benefit all island fox populations.In 2019 Channel Island foxes face four major threats:climate change: increasing regional temperatures and decreasing annual rainfall, which reduce food resources, increase wildfire threat, and promote parasite numbersbiosecurity: the introduction of non-native plants, animals, and diseasesparasites: rising tick numbers and tick-borne diseases; increased intestinal parasites on some islandsreduction of management fundingThe following update is drawn from FIF notes taken at the 2019 Island Fox Conservation Working Group meeting. Population numbers reported here are the official estimates from each island manager, as calculated from the fall 2018 count and reported May 21, 2019. Download the detailed 2019 Island Fox Status UpdateGreatest Concern San Miguel Island foxes robustly recovered from 15 individuals in 2000 to over 500 by 2010 (lime-green line on graph below). As a smaller island, it will always have a smaller fox population. In 2015, however, following several years of drought, the population began declining. As of fall 2018, the population has dropped to an estimated 171 individuals (a decline of over 70%). This decline may involve several interconnected threats: climate change, biosecurity and parasites. Details regarding San Miguel will be posted in coming days.ImprovedSan Nicolas Island foxes declined by 59% to 260 individuals during consecutive years of drought from 2012–2015 (pink line on graph above). The US Navy initiated native plant restoration projects in conjunction with Channel Islands Restoration. As these plants, like prickly pear cactus, mature they are providing food and habitat for island foxes and prey species. The fox population has increased to a more stable number–estimated 400 individuals. StableSanta Rosa Island foxes may have reached capacity for the island (pink line on "larger islands" graph above). Native vegetation is recovering and increasing resource options for foxes during periods of drought. No island foxes have been lost to golden eagles on this island or San Miguel since 2010. Parasites, including tick-borne disease, are a growing concern on Santa Rosa. FIF has refurbished 7 radio collars, and funded dietary research and health testing measures in 2019.Santa Cruz Island foxes have reached capacity for their habitat. As a result the population decreased naturally during 2018 (green line on "larger islands" graph above). Parasites, especially tick-borne Lyme disease, are an increasing concern. Because the Cruz population has been stable since 2014, there is pressure to reduce funds for monitoring. This poses a potential threat because this population receives elevated contact from the outside world via island visitors. FIF has refurbished 20 radio collars for monitoring in 2019.Santa Catalina Island foxes have also reached capacity for their habitat. In reaction to decreased rainfall, this population also declined naturally in 2018 (red line on "larger islands" graph above). Parasites, especially tick-borne Lyme disease, and biosecurity are an increasing concern for this population. Lyme disease and canine herpes virus were both introduced via human visitors and their pets. Monitoring of disease exposure is vital to this populations continued health. FIF has funded 5 new radio collars and health testing measures in 2019.San Clemente Island foxes live on the most southern Channel Island (blue line on "smaller islands" graph above). In 2018, they were the first population to see deaths directly attributed to high temperatures. Reduced rainfall stressed the population and eight individual island foxes are known to have perished in the heatwave between June and July of 2018. Climate change is impacting this island fox most directly. Download the detailed 2019 Island Fox Status Update