Island Fox

Island Fox

Urocyon littoralis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
70–80% · Very likely
overall probability at Channel Islands National Park
1,221 Verified records at Channel Islands National Park
April Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

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.

📅 Monthly Probability

60–70
Jan
70–80
Feb
70–80
Mar
70–80
Apr
70–80
May
70–80
Jun
70–80
Jul
60–70
Aug
60–70
Sep
60–70
Oct
70–80
Nov
60–70
Dec

🌙 When They're Spotted

Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)

🌙Nocturnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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
70–80%

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.

← Back to Channel Islands National Park