The Sierra Nevada red fox has been listed as endangered since 2021, and as of 2023, it may disappear from the Yosemite area without conservation efforts. These foxes are well-adapted to cold, high-elevation environments thanks to their thick coats. Like other red foxes, they have a white-tipped tail. For red foxes, mating occurs in winter, and female foxes build dens where they give birth to 1–12 pups, which are initially brown or gray and turn red after about a month. Both parents help care for the pups until fall. Red foxes have excellent hearing and can detect the sounds of rodents digging, squeaking, or nibbling beneath several feet of snow. In winter, when rodents are more active during the day, the foxes hunt during daylight hours as well.

Art by Kayla De Guzman & fact by Nicole Rodrigues, Twitter @n3rodrigues

[Edited by Nicole Rodrigues]

References:

Yosemite Conservancy. (2023). Sierra Nevada Red Fox Research. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://yosemite.org/projects/sierra-nevada-red-fox-research-2023/

National Wildlife Federation. (n.d.). Red Fox. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Red-Fox

National Park Service. (n.d.). Species Spotlight – Red Fox. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/species-spotlight-red-fox.htm

National Park Service. (n.d.). Threatened Mammals. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/threatened-mammals.htm#:~:text=Of%20Yosemite’s%20special%20status%20mammal,by%20the%20state%20of%20California.