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| Attendees viewing samples of parasites found in island foxes. |
When an island fox dies, understanding the cause of death is important. Was the cause a disease that could threaten an entire island? Was the cause a human impact that could be avoided? Did a healthy appearing island fox meet with a sudden death that captured the actual state of its health like a photograph fixed in time? Was the cause of death unusual and greater understanding is needed?
In May, Friends of the Island Fox and the Santa Barbara Zoo hosted our second Island Fox Necropsy Workshop. Over the course of the day, six island foxes that died under different circumstances were examined. Physical specimens from various organs and parts of their bodies were collected and labeled for further evaluation at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab.
Veterinary pathologist Leslie Woods retired from UC Davis led the workshop with the assistance of parasitologist Dr. Jasmine Childress from the University of Wisconsin, and veterinary epidemiologist Dr. Jessica Sanchez from Utah State University and her graduate student veterinarian Kelsey Rayment.
The workshop goal was to teach field biologists how to identify probable causes of death and how to prepare specimens to be sent for further study. The workshop brought together representatives from the Channel Island land managers as well as veterinarians, technicians, and researchers from Cal State Long Beach, UC Riverside, USC, and the University of New Mexico.
The workshop helps researchers connect with how specimens are collected and builds holistic understanding of island fox physiology. Researcher Kimberly Schoenberger (USC) recently published on the brain size of island foxes working from skulls preserved at museums, but this was her first opportunity to directly encounter an island fox brain. Researcher, Eve Rowland (UNM), commented “I had a great experience. I have previous experience preparing specimens for museum collections, but it is pretty different from necropsy. … [I]t was helpful to understand how that process works.”
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| Dr. Childress shows collected intestinal parasites |
Participants collected samples of various intestinal parasites and were able to examine and identify them under a microscope. It was a day of biological education, but also camaraderie and network building.
A huge thank you to FIF Board member Dr. Jessica Sanchez for spearheading the event, FIF Secretary Kris Chatari for organizing snacks and breaks, and to our co-hosts at the Santa Barbara Zoo, especially master organizer Nadya Seal and the veterinary team. Thank you also to the San Diego Zoo, UC Davis, and the CA Animal Health and Food Safety Lab for supplies and expertise.
Stay tuned for the findings from 6 island fox necropsies.
Hear directly from Dr. Woods about the importance of necropsy
See Dr. Sanchez give an island fox a health check
Researcher Eve Rowland will be presenting her work at the August 18, 2026 "Date with a Fox"
