For Teachers

Island Fox Fact Sheet (updated 2018) download pdf

Detailed 2019 Island Fox Status Update


Island Fox Update 2016 download pdf with information island-by-island on island fox populations and conservation concerns in 2016
Island Fox Update 2014 download pdf Island-by-island information on fox populations and conservation concerns in 2014
Island Fox Update 2011 download pdf  Island-by-island information on fox populations and conservation concerns in 2011.

Interactive artwork of island foxes and the Santa Cruz Island ecosystem - students can explore connections between island foxes, bald eagles, DDT, humans, and other island species. More images of the art.

Access is made available by artist Zoe Keller (more about the artist).

Educational Activities
Download pdfs of activities that use the island fox and the Channel Islands ecosystem to teach science, math, ecology, history, sustainability and California EEI Principles.

Listing of All Activities (by grade, themes, skills and EEI Principles)

• The Island Fox Tale; An Ecosystem Play - species interdependence in an ecosystem
• Sniff This - scientific inquiry into the sense of smell
  
• Give Paws! - population dynamics
  
• The Nose Knows - scientific problem solving with math and geometry
• Island Bioweb - species interdependence in an ecosystem
• Funding Foxes - math and budget decision making
• When Numbers Tell a Story - graphing actual island fox population numbers, comparing and interpreting data (updated 2018)
• Genetics and the Island Fox - using actual pedigree charts for the Santa Rosa Island fox and understanding the importance of preserving genetic diversity in a small population

Teaching Trunk 
The Island Fox Teaching Trunk is available for loan to teachers or groups. Priority is given to those who have scheduled a visit with Friends of the Island Fox educators (See What We Do). The trunk contains animal biofacts (replica skulls, footprints, etc.) for comparison, information on Channel Islands wildlife, a notebook of Island Fox Educational Activities and additional materials. To schedule a loan of the Teaching Trunk contact Keri Dearborn at islandfoxnews@gmail.com

Island Fox Research 2008

• Island Fox Behavior
• Island Fox Health
• Island Fox and the Island Ecosystem
• Island Fox and Eagles
• Island Fox Management

Island Fox Research 2014 - 2016

• Epidemic Disease Threats to Island Fox
• Island fox diet (summary) - B. Cypher, et al, "Multi-population comparison of resource exploitation by island foxes: Implications for conservation" Global Ecology and Consensus, 2 (2014) 255-266
• Mitochondrial DNA & evolution on Channel Islands (summary) - C. A. Hofman, et al, "Mitochondrial Genomes Suggest Rapid Evolution of Dwarf California Channel Island Foxes (Urocyon littoralis)" PLOSone, 10:e0118240
• Prevalence of cancer among Catalina Island foxes (summary) - T.W. Vickers, et al, "Pathology and Epidemiology of Ceruminous Gland Tumors among Endangered Santa Catalina Island Foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) in the Channel Islands, USA" PLoS ONE, 10(11):e0143211
• Controlling cancer risk factors in Catalina Island foxes (summary) - M.E. Moriarty, et al, "Ear Mite Removal in the Santa Catalina Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae): Controlling Risk Factors for Cancer Development." PLos ONE, 10(12):e0144271
• Home Range Territory (summary) - E.M. Drake, et al., "Home-range size and habitat selection by male Island Foxes (Urocyon littoralis) in a Low-Density Population." The Southwestern Naturalist 60(2-3):247-288. 2015

updated 8/2/19