Island Fox
Urocyon littoralis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyCanidae (Canids)
- GenusUrocyon (Gray Foxes)
- SpeciesUrocyon littoralis (Island Fox)
The island fox (Urocyon littoralis) is a small fox species that is endemic to six of the eight Channel Islands of California. They evolved from their larger mainland gray fox ancestor (U. cinereoargenteus) and have diversified into six subspecies, each confined to its own island and all exhibiting insular dwarfism. Island foxes are generally docile, show little fear of humans, and are easily tamed. Island foxes have played an important role in the spiritual lives of native Channel Islanders. They were likely semi-domesticated as pets, for their pelts, or other functions, like pest control. Genetic and archaeological evidence suggests that the foxes arrived on the islands around 7,000 years ago, probably with the assistance of early human populations. Wikipedia →
70–80% of wildlife watchers report a Island Fox sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 1,221 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Channel Islands National Park
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Coyote
Canis latrans
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
Northern Elephant Seal
Mirounga angustirostris
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
Western Spotted Skunk
Spilogale gracilis
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Juan Fernández Fur Seal
Arctocephalus philippii
Northern Sea Lion
Eumetopias jubatus
📅 Monthly Probability
🌙 When They're Spotted
Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Island Fox in Channel Islands National Park?
About 71% of wildlife watchers report a Island Fox sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 1,221 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Island Fox in Channel Islands National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Island Fox in Channel Islands National Park in our monthly data.