Science and the Island Fox

Get ready to explore, discover and be a scientist. On Oct. 1, 2011 Friends of the Island Fox will join our friends the Santa Barbara Zoo in a day of science fun.

Science Day at the Santa Barbara Zoo

Saturday Oct. 1, 2011

10 AM - 3PM

Included in the price of admission, there will be family friendly activities that focus on science learning. Teachers are encouraged to come and discover activities that meet California state science standards and can be replicated in the classroom. Admission for teachers and their families is FREE with preregistration. Visit the Santa Barbara Zoo website for more information.


Friends of the Island will be exploring the Channel Island fox’s great sense of smell. Why does an island fox nose work better than a human nose? Could you find your way home using only your nose?


Tani, the juvenile island fox, has a brother called Acorn that went exploring. He had to find his way back to the family den using his sense of smell. Follow the adventures of island fox pups born this spring on Facebook and twitter.

Zoos Helping Island Foxes

wild island fox wearing radio collar funded by Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Zoos of the 21st century are active partners in conservation. Friends of the Island Fox salutes our Zoo friends.

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has awarded a conservation grant to Friends of the Island Fox for 5 years in a row. They have sponsored 20 radio collars to monitor island foxes in the wild! These radio collars are vital to maintaining a healthy wild population and demonstrate the role modern zoos play in supporting conservation efforts to preserve and restore healthy wild ecosystems. Thank you to the keepers and staff of Fresno Chaffee Zoo for being true island fox friends. Visit the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is home to four island foxes, three San Clemente island foxes born in captivity and a Santa Rosa island fox with a chronic health condition. The keepers and staff of the Santa Barbara Zoo wrote the book on keeping captive island foxes healthy and on successfully breeding them. When island foxes became endangered in the wild (the crisis years - northern islands, Catalina Island), the knowledge gathered at the Santa Barbara Zoo helped to establish successful captive breeding programs on four islands. Zoo veterinarians have also provided vital healthcare to wild island foxes. The Santa Barbara Zoo is home to Finnigan, the education island fox, helping to bring the story of this endangered species to thousands of local people every year. Thank you to the keepers and staff of the Santa Barbara Zoo for being true island fox friends. Visit the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Size of golden eagle presented at AZAD Conference

The docents of the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens have made educating the local community about the endangered island fox a priority mission. This September they carried their education outreach back to Memphis, Tennessee to the national conference of the Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents. The success of island fox recovery depends on active partnership between scientists, conservation organizations, government agencies and an educated local community. The Friends of the Island Fox grew out of the docent program at the Los Angeles Zoo and these dedicated volunteers continue to be some of our greatest supporters. (Annual Earth Day event) Thank you to the docents of the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens for being true island fox friends. Visit the Los Angeles Zoo.    Become a docent.

Island Foxes Face Off Disease

Tani represents all of the juvenile island foxes that were born this spring (A special Island fox is Born).  As summer turns to autumn these young island foxes will venture off from their parents to begin their own lives. But before they do, they just might have a close encounter of the human kind.

Across the California Channel Islands biologists are catching island foxes in capture cages to count their numbers, replace and outfit radio tracking collars, and conduct annual health checks.

For young island foxes that means a microchip that will identify them for life. It may also mean vaccinations for canine diseases - rabies and distemper. Both of these diseases have a high mortality rate, meaning that most wild island foxes would die if they encountered them. We know this is true because the Santa Catalina Island population of island foxes declined by over 88% between 1998 and 2000 when distemper was introduced to the island. (More about Catalina Island).

Pet dogs and cats that have not been vaccinated can introduce disease to wild populations. Island species like the island fox are especially vulnerable because they have not evolved with the same diseases that animals may be exposed to on the mainland. Wild animals from the mainland can also introduce disease to island populations (see Raccoon on Catalina).

The land managers across the islands hope to vaccinate at least 60-80 island foxes on each island this autumn. The minimum (60 foxes on 6 islands) would be a total of 360 island foxes with a cost of $10 per fox. Just providing minimal disease protection to this endangered species comes with a minimum cost of $3,600. 

You can help provide a young island fox heading out into the world with a better chance of survival by supporting vaccination costs. A donation of $10 will protect an island fox from rabies and distemper. 

You can also make a positive difference by reminding friends and family that vaccinating pet dogs and cats helps protect wild animals. Disease has no sympathy, it can attack an endangered species or a beloved pet. To keep both safe, pets should stay home and leave wild animals to live in their native habitats.


See more of Tani's adventures on Facebook and @ifoxtweet on Twitter.

Microchips for Island Foxes

Biologists capture island foxes annually to count them and to evaluate the health of individuals and the population as a whole. Because not every island fox is captured each year during the annual trapping, those that are caught provide a representative snapshot of the general health of each islands' fox population.

The first time that an island fox experiences an annual health check it receives a microchip so that it will be identifiable as an individual for the rest of its life. The microchip or PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag is inserted under the skin between the shoulders using needle and syringe. When a young island fox, like Tani, receives a microchip it means that the story of her life will be documented from a young age through adulthood. If she is caught again next year, biologists will be able to determine how far she has moved from her parent's territory.


Looking at the data that has been collected on the recapture of island foxes over the years, biologists see a pattern of young male island foxes traveling a great distance from the area where they were born. While female pups tend to stay in areas adjacent to their parents. The first year of an island fox's life can be perilous as they head out on their own into unknown areas.


Microchips also allow the identification of individual island foxes if something happens to them. In the past month, two young island foxes have been hit by cars along roads on Catalina Island. Watch for Foxes.


Radio tracking collars help to monitor the movements and health of island foxes, but not every island fox will receive a $250 radio collar. Every island fox that is captured for the first time during annual counting and health checks does receive an identification microchip. You can help support an island fox Health Check for just $25.


As island foxes continue their successful recovery from near extinction, monitoring their populations takes on greater importance. Through your donation to Friends of the Island Fox you can help support the recovery of the endangered island fox.

How Do You Count Island Foxes?

Across the Channel Islands biologists are setting special enclosure traps to catch island foxes. Each year at the end of summer traps are set-up along specific trails or grids and left open over night. In the evening hours curious or hungry island foxes find their way into the wire mesh traps.

courtesy of Channel Islands National Park

This is how island foxes are counted on each of the Channel Islands. Late summer or early fall is the best season to capture the small foxes because it is late enough in the season that fox pups are no longer nursing and early enough that adult island foxes are not yet preparing to breed for the next batch of offspring.

Before sunrise field biologists head out to check each trap. Frequently if an island fox pup is caught in the cage, biologists report that the parents may be close by, keeping an eye on their youngster. And often island fox parents will leave food, like a dead mouse or two, in front of the cage. This behavior is call "provisioning." Even though the island fox pup is caught in the capture cage, the parents will continue to try and take care of it.

The island fox pup that has been sharing its adventures on Twitter is about to experience an annual Health Check. (See the Twitter box to the right or follow Tani's adventures on FaceBook)


For MORE on an island fox's annual Health Check, LISTEN to biologist Julie King from the Catalina Island Conservancy as she does a health check on an island fox in the wild.

Follow us on @ifoxtweet on Twitter as an island fox pup grows up.

Island Fox Pups Grow Up

courtesy of NPS volunteer Inge Rose

During the warm days of summer, island fox pups grow up fast. Through rough and tumble play with their siblings, they learn to stalk and pounce. Small paws pin a sister or brother to the ground. They practice grabbing hold with their sharp little teeth and shaking. All of these behaviors are important skills for hunting.

Stalking and pouncing are the actions used by island foxes to catch island deer mice, birds, lizards and snakes, and even some insects, like grasshoppers. Island fox catches a snake.


Digging with agile, clawed paws enables island foxes to catch Jerusalem crickets and beetles. Insects are probably the first prey that most island fox pups hunt on their own. (See the Twitter adventures of Tani, a young island fox grows up, in the right side panel.)


Both parents help to teach the island fox pups where and how to find the variety of food they will need to survive on the rugged Channel Islands. As summer continues, fruit will ripen on a variety of native plants, bringing new food opportunities to the growing island foxes.

Link to a video of island fox pups on Catalina Island sent to FIF by an island fox friend. Watch for the three pups, just like in Tani's family.

Native Foods Cafe Helps Island Foxes

Thank you Native Foods Cafe !

Today, Tuesday June 12, Native Foods Cafe restaurants in California are donating a percentage of their profits to island fox conservation. It is all part of their effort to give back to the local community and support animal conservation efforts.


If you are looking for a new dining experience at a trend-setting vegan restaurant, try one of the Native Foods Cafes in Westwood, Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Culver City, Palm Desert, Palm Springs or Tustin. You'll have a great time and support efforts to save endangered island foxes. Link to Locations

Island Fox on the Radio

photo courtesy of Paul Bronstein

Pat Meyer and Keri Dearborn from Friends of the Island Fox recently did an interview with KLOS Radio personality Cynthia Fox.

Cynthia Fox hosts "Spotlight on the Community" Sunday mornings on KLOS. Listen in for great mix of rock music and community involvement.


Listen to the podcast of the interview via the links below:
Part 1 - How the Island Fox became an Endangered Species

Part 2 - Where do Island Foxes Live ? and Recovery Efforts
Part 3 - Restoring Natural Balance to CA Channel Islands
Part 4 - Education Outreach Programs for Schools and Community Groups

Each segment is approximately 10 minutes.

Friends of the Island Fox thanks Cynthia Fox and KLOS for shining a Spotlight on the endangered island fox. 

Island Fox and the Jerusalem Cricket

Island fox pups on the Channel Islands are now about 6 weeks old and about to emerge from the family den. Friends of the Island Fox's Twitter fox, Tani, is learning what to eat. Both the mother and father island fox bring food to their pups. Follow Tani's tweets in the black Twitter box on the right.


Island foxes are omnivorous, they eat both plant food and other animals. Insects are fairly easy to find and they are an important part of an island fox's diet. Jerusalem crickets are a favorite food for island foxes. This large insect can be found in the soil under native plants and it provides a protein-rich meal. Jerusalem crickets are also known as earth babies, ninõs de la tierra or potato bugs (but they don't eat potatoes).

Jerusalem cricket

The island fox, the Catalina cherry and the Jerusalem cricket all depend on each other. The island fox eats the Jerusalem cricket, but it also eats the fruit of the Catalina cherry. The seeds of this plant are too big for the finches and small birds to swallow. But the island fox does swallow some of the seeds and helps to disperse the cherry seeds across the island so new plants can grow. Fox Scat The Jerusalem cricket lives under the Catalina cherry plant and eats some of its roots and dead leaves on the ground. It is a decomposer helping create healthy soil where new plants can grow. The island fox, the Catalina cherry and the Jerusalem cricket are just a small part of the interconnected web of plants and animals on the Channel Islands.


The island fox has evolved to have very pointed teeth so it can pick up small insects. The teeth act like tweezers carefully picking up grasshoppers and crickets, while leaving twigs and leaves behind.


Island foxes also eat the native island deer mice, some small birds and their eggs. As summer comes to the island, fruit will start to play an important role in the what the foxes eat.


Follow along with Tani on Twitter or on Facebook as an island fox grows up.

Island Foxes on KLOS FM Radio

Hear Friends of the Island Fox on

Cynthia Fox's "Spotlight on the Community" 

on KLOS Radio, 95.5 FM!

Pat Meyer, Friends of the Island Fox Program Director, and Keri Dearborn, Education Director, will be on Cynthia Fox's Sunday morning program this weekend, May 28th from 6-7 AM. 

Link to KLOS "Spotlight on the Community PodCasts".

With community education and participation in conservation efforts we are saving the island fox.

For more information on school programs (K-college) contact Pat at pat@islandfox.org or (805) 228-4123. To be added to the FIF teacher contact list for program information in the fall - email: islandfoxnews@gmail.com (subject line: teacher)


Photos of island foxes
Video of island foxes
Video - island fox meets bald eagle
Fox Talk Podcasts