Protecting Channel Island Foxes Against Distemper Virus

Biosecurity–the threat of introduced disease and non-native species–has become a major issue in the recovery of the Channel Island fox. 

See 2015 Island Fox Status Report

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) nearly caused the extinction of the Santa Catalina Island fox. Island foxes were vaccinated against this virulent disease until 2012, when a vaccine safe for this rare species became unavailable. 

A newly available vaccine has been found safe for island foxes. Since June, it has been verified on 30 monitored wild island foxes and the few island foxes in captivity.

Friends of the Island Fox 

hopes to raise $5,000 

to vaccinate 

500 island foxes against Canine Distemper

Wild Channel Island fox having blood drawn during health check.

Biologists are in the field right NOW providing health checks and counting island foxes. The lower price of the new CDV vaccine means that: 

a $10 donation 

will vaccinate an island fox against 

BOTH Canine Distemper and Rabies

in 2015

Twice the protection for $10.

We already have raised $2,800, over half the funds needed. 

Each island fox protected helps secure the population's continuation even in the face of introduced epidemic disease.

Won't you please help in this vital effort to preserve the historic recovery of the endangered Channel Island fox? 

Channel Island Fox Status Update 2015

photo courtesy of M. Solomon

The annual meeting of the Island Fox Conservation Working Group in 2015 reported that the general status of the six subspecies of California's Channel Island foxes is GOOD.

However, four of six islands saw dips or declines in population in 2014. The historic drought and its impacts on food resources is believed to be the cause. Biologists on Santa Catalina have documented a direct connection between rainfall levels and island fox reproduction. Years with drought-level precipitation result in reduced plant food and prey, thereby causing fewer island fox pups to be born or to survive. The extent of drought impact varies significantly by island.

Minimal drought impacts on Santa Cruz Island, 2015

 Despite the drought, recovery of the four endangered subspecies of island fox has been very successful and this spring (March 2015), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced initiation of a status review of the four subspecies. 

Introduced disease continues to threaten all island foxes and a lack of canine distemper virus (CDV) vaccine safe for use in island foxes has been a major concern for two years. The Working Group took urgent steps, and Friends of the Island Fox participated, to determine the effectiveness of a newly available CDV vaccine.
 

courtesy of E. Gotthelf

All island fox subspecies are maintaining stable populations and there are no issues which put any Channel Island fox subspecies in eminent threat of extinction. The continuing drought, however, has more severely impacted island foxes on San Miguel and San Nicolas Islands. As seen in the past, each island faces its own concerns and challenges.


Island Fox Update 2015 pdf a specific island-by-island summary

• San Miguel Island - 520 (low of 15 in the year 2000). Population recovered with over 500 individuals since 2010. Slight population dip. Concern: Threat from new parasites continues, as do drought impacts (see below)
• Santa Rosa Island - 874 (low of 15 in the year 2000). Population recovery stalled by drought, but stable.
• Santa Cruz Island - 1,750* (low of 62 in the year 2002). Population recovered and robust with over 1,000 individuals since 2009. No discernible drought impacts.
• Santa Catalina Island - 1,717 (low of 103 in the year 2000). Population recovered and stable with over 1,000 individuals since 2010. Slight population dip. Concern: Drought impacts and human related impacts, including car strike, and high risk for introduced disease.
• San Clemente Island - 1,230* (not Endangered). Population stable. Concern: Continued fatalities to automobile strike.
• San Nicolas Island - 263* (not Endangered). Population has declined ~41% since 2012 because of drought impacts. Concern: Habitat destruction has left island foxes dependent on non-native plants and prey which have declined dramatically in the drought, see below.

The graph above shows population numbers on even years, therefore the dip from 2013 is not represented. For more detailed graphs see the Island Fox Update document. The numbers represented  are the official 2014 population figures reported at the Island Fox Conservation Working Group Meeting 6/16/15. *Population figures represent adults only.

Concerns:
Healthy plant and animal populations fluctuate normally with available resources. Recovered island fox populations naturally dip when there is not enough food, water, or territory. There is a natural limit to the number of island foxes an island can support, also known as carrying capacity.

Low rainfall has impacted food resources across the Channel Islands. However, islands have not been impacted equally. Some islands appear to have greater natural drought tolerance.

As recently discovered by analyzing island-fox diet, Santa Catalina and Santa Cruz Islands have greater native plant biodiversity than the other smaller islands. Native island vegetation evolved with periods of drought. Native plants are better able to survive and produce fruit vital for the survival of island animals. The greater the native plant biodiversity, the greater the survival options for island foxes.

island fox footprints among ice plant on San Nicolas

The island-fox-diet study pointed out that island foxes on San Miguel and San Nicolas Islands were dependent on plant and invertebrate species which had been introduced to their islands, replacing native plant habitat.  Unfortunately, these introduced plant species, especially, ice plant, and the non-native creatures that live in it–snails and earwigs, have declined dramatically during the last two years of extreme drought. The impact has been greatest on San Nicolas Island where average island-fox weight has declined and the population has dropped 41% since 2012.

Restoring native vegetation is the best long term solution for healthy island fox populations on these two islands. (for more on this topic, see the Island Fox Update 2015 pdf document above)

A secondary impact of the drought has been increased complications with parasites. Changes in diet and decreased general health leave island foxes more vulnerable to internal and external parasites. Here again, each island has its own specific parasite challenges. (See Island Fox Update 2015 pdf for details) (Spiny-headed worm on San Miguel Island first detected in 2013).

Introduced disease continues to pose a threat to all island foxes, especially on islands visited by people. Dogs, cats, and introduced species, like raccoons, are all avenues for disease to be transported to isolated and disease-naive island foxes. Efforts to verify the effectiveness of a new CDV vaccine for island foxes is currently underway.

Positive Notes:

courtesy of D. Mekonnen

There are early anecdotal signs that the small amount of rain this spring and summer may be improving resources on the islands. More island fox pups have been spotted this summer than during the last two summers. However, the official impact on the populations will not be known until counting begins in fall.
  
Monitoring with radio collars continues to provide important information to land managers. Radio collars have helped verify that no golden eagles have returned to eat island foxes on the northern islands. Radio collars were instrumental in determining the cause of island-fox decline on San Nicolas Island. And they continue to provide early warning of disease introduction. Radio monitoring collars will also enable land managers to ethically determine the effectiveness of the new CDV vaccine.

Annual island fox health checks, serology testing, and counting identify threats to island fox survival early, so that actions can be taken to protect island populations.

‘Fox-Saver’ bins on Santa Catalina and the Navy's education outreach on San Clemente are all helping to reduce the number of island foxes hit and killed by cars.

Thank you to the Island Fox Conservation Working Group and all of the important work that has helped island foxes recover from the brink of extinction. Thank you also to the many participants on our June Santa Cruz Island Trip that have allowed us to show you their photographs.

Working Together to Save Channel Island Foxes

The success of Channel Island fox recovery is rooted in cooperation among a broad group of government agencies, public and private conservation groups, scientists and researchers, and an active local community. Students, from elementary through high school, have played an active role as Island Fox Ambassadors–raising funds for radio tracking collars, ID microchips, and vaccinations.

This month students from the Buena High Enviromental Club (Ventura, CA) received national recognition for their efforts in restoring native plant ecosystems in Channel Islands National Park. The students from Buena High have also been strong supporters of island fox conservation.

Friends of the Island Fox's motto has always been "Working Together to Save the Island Fox." Many endangered species to not have the benefit of people working in collaboration. We have seen the Channel Island fox rebound from the edge of extinction because people working together can facilitate positive change.

photo courtesy of K. Lampkin

Three Cheers for our active young people and Many Thanks to all the people, near and far, who have helped to fund conservation efforts that have worked!

• Fresno Chaffee Zoo Conservation Grant
• Santa Barbara Zoo
• Fort Collins CO Foxes Baseball Team

It all begins with the annual meeting of the Island Fox Working Group in June. Last year we found out about the threat posed to island foxes by trash cans on Santa Catalina. (2014 meeting of the Island Fox Working Group) You helped us respond to this conservation challenge. Any day now we hope to announce we have reached our goal on this effort.

This year drought and biosecurity are on the meeting agenda, both pose threats to stable Channel Island fox populations. Stay tuned for updates from the biologists, veterinarians, and scientists working in the field. 

USFWS Announces Channel Island Fox's Record Recovery

Channel Island foxes have been in the news! 

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the release of the final Recovery Plan for Channel Island foxes on March 11, 2015. They also stated that the USFWS will begin evaluating the current status of the four subspecies which are presently designated as Endangered (the San Miguel Island fox (Urocyon littoralis littoralis), Santa Rosa Island fox (U. l. santarosae), Santa Cruz Island fox (U. l. santacruzae), and the Santa Catalina Island fox (U. l. catalinae)).

Will any of the four endangered subspecies be removed from the Endangered Species List? 

health checks continue to monitor status

That question will not be answered until each subspecies is thoroughly evaluated regarding population health, habitat stability, and potential threats to future survival. Human impacts are a continuing concern, especially on more visited islands like Santa Catalina.

The ultimate determination to downlist any of the subspecies will not occur until at least a year after the status review is completed. Still, there is much to celebrate. As quoted in the press release from Channel Islands National Park:

Due to the remarkable success of the Endangered Species Act, recovery actions by land managers and conservation partners have led to dramatic population increases on all four islands since listing, effectively bringing the species back from the brink of extinction, said Steve Henry, field supervisor of the Service’s Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office. To date, it appears that this is the fastest population rebound due to recovery actions and ESA protections for any land mammal in the United States.

Channel Island foxes are once again highly visible in the wild.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has provided the necessary protection and attention to help save four subspecies of Channel Island foxes from extinction.

Thank you to all of the dedicated professionals and concerned private citizens that have contributed to this vital effort. Our motto has never been more true: 

Working Together To Save The Channel Island Fox

What Color Is An Island Fox?

photo courtesy of Kevin Schafer

What color is an island fox?

It might seem an easy question, but there is more to the color of a Channel Island fox than initially meets the eye.

At first glance an island fox (Urocyon littoralis) appears to be a mixture of white, reddish or rust, and gray markings, with a little black. The island fox's ancestor, the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) has similar coloration, though typically less rust.

The primary color on an island fox is a grizzled gray along its back.

island fox back

This cryptic coloring provides very successful camouflage because it is not a solid color.

There is an underlying downy fur of a light tan, interspersed with long guard hairs. While some guard hairs are black, others along the back are variegated in color. A guard hair may be black, with a thin bit of brown, then white, and finally tipped in black. The combination of colors creates an overall appearance of gray.

island fox pup in the fog

However, the multiple layers of varying color create a break-up pattern; there is no solid color for the eye to discern. This allows the island fox to disappear into landscapes with low light levels–shade, twilight or fog.

island fox on mottled flooring at a medical facility

This characteristic also makes it challenging for auto-focus on a camera to successfully focus on island foxes. The fox in the photo to the left is actually standing, but it is hard to visually distinguish its back from the floor.

The variability in island fox fur also means that small hereditary changes in the fur can make large general changes in appearance. 

A little less black at the tip of the guard hairs and the overall appearance is much lighter. Such an island fox may appear more beige or brown and blend in better with the environment of the southern islands: San Nicolas or San Clemente. Lighter colored individuals may also be more successful hunting sand dune or beach habitats.

northern island foxes during captive breeding 2000-2006

A bit more black on the tip of the guard hairs and the overall coloring appears much darker and more gray. This coloring is more beneficial in habitats with denser vegetation, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands.

The plasticity of their camouflage coloring has helped island foxes remain successful hunters in varied Channel Island habitats.

 

Double Action to Save Catalina Island Foxes

Help Friends of the Island Fox reduce a major threat to the Santa Catalina Island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae): human trash. 

Yes, eating human food is bad for island foxes. Adults dependent on human food fail to teach hunting skills to their offspring. (Island fox diet) However, the greater threat is the attraction of trash and the behavior island foxes engage in to reach readily available human food waste.

The first problem is that standard trash and recycling containers pose a threat to these small foxes. This old trash can, next to a fence, allows an island fox to easily climb inside. The fox's diminutive size means it can easily fit through openings and fall into trash receptacles. 

Aging bins are an enticing hazard.

photo courtesy of Lesly Lieberman and CIC

Once inside, island foxes have a difficult time getting out of these containers. Trash can lids are designed to push open from the outside. Catalina Island biologists have documented numerous cases of island foxes dying inside trash cans.

 

photo courtesy of Julie King, CIC

The second issue is that accessible trash cans encourage island foxes to cross roads and enter dangerous areas. Notice the island fox under the left side of the trash can pictured here. It is pulling trash out of the rusted bottom of this can. 

Catalina Island Conservancy biologists Julie King and Calvin Duncan report: 

Between April and May 2014, four foxes were hit and killed by vehicles in close proximity to open trash cans near Bird Park in Avalon and two more were hit and killed there in November. It is unknown how many other foxes may have been hit by vehicles in the area but did not immediately succumb to their injuries, and were therefore not accounted for.

courtesy of Julie King, CIC

Car strike has become the greatest killer of island foxes on Catalina Island. The island fox pictured to the right was killed by a car, notice the trash can on the other side of the road (to the left). Clusters of unnecessary island fox deaths are occurring in areas adjacent to public spaces with numerous trash cans.

New "Fox Saver" trash bins

But there is a solution to the double threat: trash bins that island foxes can not access.

“Fox Saver” bins are the same sturdy containers used at Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks to keep bears out of human trash. Opening the bin requires long human fingers. There is no opening for an island fox to easily enter.

Once the attraction of available human food waste is eliminated, we hope there will be less motivation for island foxes to cross roads, and maybe less attraction to venture into Avalon.

Purchasing these all-steel bins, shipping them to Santa Catalina Island, and installing them on a cement pad comes with a sizable price tag. Each bin costs $2,000. The Catalina Island Conservancy has a goal of replacing 150 trash bins across the island.

Friends of the Island Fox aims to raise $6,000 to fund three “Fox-Saver” bins to be placed in Avalon's Bird Park area. This should actively reduce island fox deaths along one of Santa Catalina's busiest roads. Your donation will help meet this goal and save island fox lives.

The Catalina Island fox is making a strong recovery, but its current restored population combined with growing human activity  has increased direct human threats to island fox survival. 

Help us make a positive impact by funding 
"Fox Saver" bins!

Island Fox at Santa Barbara Zoo

Join Friends of the Island Fox at the

 Santa Barbara Zoo

Fox Festival

Sunday, February 15th

11am - 3pm

The Santa Barbara Zoo provides a home to Channel Island foxes that are unable to survive in the wild. Throughout the recovery of endangered island foxes, the zoo's Veterinary staff and Animal Care staff have participated in conservation efforts across the islands and have helped write the book on how to care for this rare California species.

Currently there are only five island foxes in captivity and two of them live at the Santa Barbara Zoo. If you can't visit the Channel Islands, this is the closest location in southern California to see a live island fox.

On Sunday, February 15th, we will be helping the Santa Barbara Zoo celebrate all foxes. Included with zoo admission:

• Fox related activities and crafts
• Channel Island fox information booth with biofacts
• Keeper talks and animal enrichment throughout the day

Come meet the Channel Island fox. Compare it to the African fennec fox. Decide for yourself with one is smaller. Which one has the largest ears? How is their coloring adapted for their habitat?

Purchase an island fox pin, T-shirt, guide, or stuffed animal from the FIF booth and help support island fox conservation!

Give the Gift of Saving Island Foxes

Since 2005, you have helped Friends of the Island Fox fund more than $60,000 in conservation efforts to save the endangered island fox.

In 2014 donors funded our  

113th radio-tracking collar!

In addition, in 2014 FIF:

• Hosted the annual meeting of island fox biologists
• Funded blood tests looking for exposure to disease (serology)
• Supported the purchase of a scientific specimen refrigerator at a lab studying island fox health
• Funded vaccinations for rabies
• And funded identification microchips 

 

In the year 2000, four subspecies of island fox were facing imminent extinction. San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands each only had 15 surviving individual island foxes. On all six islands combined there was a total of approximately 1,400 island foxes. 

In just fourteen years, island fox populations have returned to historic levels. The official population numbers from 2013 estimate over 5,700 island foxes across all of the islands.

Maintaining this successful recovery of the island fox means continued monitoring. Disease and introduced threats can quickly impact these rare island populations.

This holiday season give the gift of directly saving an endangered species.

• $10 microchips an island fox with lifetime identification
• $10 vaccinates an island fox for a year against rabies or distemper
• $25 funds an annual health check
• $100 supports public education and vital research
• $300 sponsors a radio-tracking collar to ensure the safety of island foxes

Donate through the "Island Fox Donation" box on the upper right hand side of the screen (the box with the smiling island fox).

Endangered Island Foxes Stabilizing But Need to Monitor Continues

courtesy of Kevin Schafer

The annual meeting of the Island Fox Conservation Working Group took place yesterday, hosted by Friends of the Island Fox. 

The good news is that the four endangered populations of island foxes on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Catalina Islands continue to recover and stabilize. 

Island foxes on the two Navy islands, San Clemente and San Nicolas, are not considered endangered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and their populations remain stable and at high densities (number of individual animals per square kilometer).

The graph below shows population numbers for San Miguel Island through fall 2013. The population was initially estimated in 1994. Actual individuals were counted when island foxes were in captive breeding pens on the island. Through 2007, the island foxes on San Miguel were gradually returned to the wild. Wild population figures are estimated through an annual catching of individuals and computer extrapolation of that data. More on Counting Island Foxes.

The graph shows how San Miguel's population dropped dramatically due to golden eagle predation at the turn of the century. Fifteen surviving individuals became the founders of the current San Miguel Island fox subspecies; captive breeding by the National Park Service saved this subspecies from extinction.

The population has made an amazing and rapid recovery to a level greater than historically estimated before the crisis. Statistical analysis through fall 2013 calculated that for the fifth year in a row,  individual island foxes on San Miguel have a 90% chance of surviving through the next year and the potential for species extinction is very low.  

Currently the density of island foxes on San Miguel is very high, 10-20 individuals per kilometer in some habitat areas. National Park biologist Tim Coonan believes the data shows the San Miguel Island fox population has fully recovered and has reached the "carrying capacity" for this small island. This means the food and territory resources available on San Miguel can not support continued population increase. The minor population ups and downs since 2010 follow the pattern of a population responding to resource availability. 

Conservation efforts on behalf of the San Miguel Island fox have been very successful. Across Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina the stories of population recovery from the brink of extinction are all inspiring.

However, there is an additional cautionary chapter in the San Miguel story. As the island foxes in the National Park have recovered, funding has decreased for their management. The staff that works with the foxes on San Miguel and Santa Rosa has gone from six to three technicians. 

Since the end of 2013 thru May of 2014, seventeen radio-collared island foxes on San Miguel have died from peritonitis caused by a parasitic spiny-headed worm (the exact species is still being determined). This parasite has not been a problem on the Channel Islands before and typically does not cause mortality in canines. The spiny-headed worm is transmitted to the fox through another animal-species host that the fox has eaten.

Today as the biologists, veterinarians, land managers and government officials meet for a second day, they are sharing expertise and ideas about how to respond to this potential threat to the San Miguel Island fox. Over the next few months they will be looking for answers to new questions:

• What prey species is carrying the parasite?
• Have island foxes on San Miguel changed to a prey species that is a vector for this parasite?
• Across San Miguel Island a higher number of island foxes are appearing underweight. Are these foxes infected with the parasite as well?
• Is drought a factor in this problem?
• Is high population density a factor?  
• Why is the number of these parasites so high in individual foxes?
• During the fall count, there appeared to be a very low number of pups on San Miguel. Is this a natural response to high population density and reduced resources? Is the parasite impacting female health and therefore reproduction?
• Is the parasite a possible threat to other Channel Island fox subspecies?

Channel Island foxes are rare creatures. Prior to the near extinctions of 2000, little was known about this endemic California species. If there is one thing that has become obvious over the years, it is that change to the island habitat, either directly by people or indirectly through environmental toxins, climate change, or introduced invasive species, island fox survival requires vigilance. 

The continuity of public support and scientific experts engaged in island fox conservation is vital to maintaining this unique species into the future. Funding the Island Fox Conservation Working Group meeting is an important part of island fox conservation.

Stay tuned for more information from the Working Group meeting. 

Let's Go FOXES!

The Fort Collins, Colorado, Foxes are celebrating endangered island foxes for the third year in a row. 

The Foxes are part of a summer Mountain Collegiate Baseball League and again this year they will help raise funds for island fox conservation at one of their home games. 

The Fort Collins Foxes meet the Winsor Beavers

on Sunday, June 8th in Fort Collins, CO

The team will raffle off a replica Major League jersey to raise funds to help support Channel Island foxes.

Fort Collins has a second connection to island foxes. Colorado State University at Fort Collins maintains physical scat and blood samples of island foxes from Santa Cruz Island. These specimens are important to biologists and researchers working on issues concerning island foxes.

If you can't attend Saturday's game you can still support foxes by wearing one of the many styles of Foxes' baseball caps. When you purchase a Foxes baseball cap on-line, the team will make a 15% donation to Friends of the Island Fox. 

GO Foxes!