While this fox is both gray and red, it is neither a Gray Fox nor a Red Fox! Like them, it can be found in California, but only on six islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, and nowhere else in the world. This is the Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis), a species of fox endemic to (i.e., only found in) six of the eight Channel Islands of California. They are most closely related to the Gray Fox, and likely the result of a population of gray foxes reaching the islands by rafting on debris or being brought by humans some 6,000-16,000 years ago. But, unlike their nocturnal ancestors, Island Foxes have evolved to hunt throughout the day since they have no natural predators to fear. This is sort of a classic story when it comes to isolated islands, and part of what makes island ecosystems so special and sensitive. If we’ve made your appetite for further fox facts ferocious, check out their associated National Park Service web page!
Photo by Alycia Drwencke; caption by Brady Nichols
Edited by Brady Nichols
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