Island Foxes and The Art of an Ecosystem

No species stands alone and artist Zoe Keller has created a masterful piece of art that weaves together the island fox’s conservation story with the natural history of Santa Cruz Island.

Keller’s vivid graphite drawing depicts the interconnected world of island foxes, bald eagles, California sea lions, island spotted skunks, numerous birds, plants, insects and humans on the Channel Islands. The images seen here are small glimpses of a large work that Keller has made interactive with natural history information.

Keller has thanked Friends of the Island Fox for providing background research by providing us with access to her full-sized interactive piece. Go and explore the Interactive Drawing


Overview of the Santa Cruz Island drawing

More about artist Zoe Keller 

Friends of the Island Fox receives no financial benefit nor provides any support to Zoe Keller. This link to her work is made as a public benefit and exchange of educational material.

Fox Foto Friday - Island Fox Eating Redberry

Island foxes love their native fruit! Across the Channel Islands native fruit sometimes makes up over 50% of the island fox's diet. 

Researcher Todd West observed this island fox eating island redberry. From toyon and lemonade berry, to Catalina Island cherry and prickly pear cactus, if the native fruit is red, island foxes eat it.

Thank you, Todd, for sharing your photo with Friends of the Island Fox. More of Todd's photos. More island foxes eating.

Do you have a great photo of an island fox? Share it with Fox Foto Friday - islandfoxnews@gmail.com 

How can you help island foxes?

Make the Island Fox Your Sweetheart

This Valentine's Day

Won't you share your passion?

February through April, island fox pups will be born across the Channel Islands. Help give the 2018 pups the best chance of survival by supporting two important conservation projects.

Recycled radio-tracking collars: 
Good for foxes and the environment
Pups on San Miguel Island face serious challenges like drought and climate change. Young foxes are struggling to survive and adults are threatened by new parasites.

island fox with radio collar

You can help National Park biologists better protect the foxes by donating toward a radio-tracking collar. Radio collars help biologists respond quickly when foxes are in danger. By refurbishing previously used collars, we're also reducing costs for foxes and the environment. Each refurbished collar costs $220, a 33% savings over typical radio collar costs and keeps a used collar out of landfills.

This Valentine's Day, FIF has our hearts set on funding 15 radio collars!

Slow Down for Foxes!

Island foxes on Catalina face another serious danger: automobiles. One of the ways to alert drivers to the dangers of speeding in fox territory is through electronic signs that tell drivers they are going too fast. These signs have been shown to slow down traffic and reduce fox injuries and death.

A critical sign on Catalina needs replacing. For $3,000, we can repair the sign and put it back in service, saving more fox lives.

Two Ways to Share Your Passion

Donate Today

or by mail:
Friends of the Island Fox: 2390 C Las Posas Road, Suite #120, Camarillo CA 93010

Help create a better future for island foxes!

Island Foxes With a Sweet Tooth

What is that island fox doing?

On a December trip to Santa Cruz Island several observers documented a number of island foxes busily searching the ground under the eucalyptus trees.

courtesy of Douglas E. Welch

Initially we thought they were finding food debris left by campers, but the more we watched the more it became apparent that the island foxes were licking something on the leaf litter. The December day was unusually warm and dry. (This was while the Thomas Fire in Ventura was blazing.) We watched foxes in close proximity to each other completely engaged in their search and paying no attention to us or each other. At one point there were seven foxes in this small area. -
Douglas Welch

bloom after island fox licked it

The red gum eucalyptus trees were in bloom. One young island fox stood on its hind legs and pulled down a low branch so it could access the flowers. One at a time, it stuck it's muzzle into the eucalyptus blooms, licking and nibbling them. I've been visiting Santa Cruz for over 10 years. I've never seen this behavior before. - Keri Dearborn 

Little beads of sticky sap were on the tables and benches. I touched my finger to the sap and tapped it on my tongue–it was sweet.  - Michael Lawshe

One island fox wandered within several feet of me. Each time it found a drop of sweet sap, it would lick it up and make a soft sound, almost like a purr. - Keri Dearborn
 
On this dry hot day in December, the island foxes were licking up the sweet eucalyptus sap. While this is not known to be a typical behavior, it is another example of the adaptive nature of these unique canines. Typical island fox diet. Island foxes eating toyon berries that same day.