The Channel Island Fox

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the petite Channel Island fox, urocyon littoralis, endemic to the California Channel Islands, has become near extinction because of the invasion of non-native species, misguided conservation efforts and rampant canine distemper disease. The author points out that, in an effort to save the San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike, lanius ludovicianus mearnsi, one of the most endangered birds in the world, which is a prey of the Channel Island fox, careless conservation efforts reduced the San Clemente (one of the Channel Islands) fox so rapidly that its population then became endangered. The paper stresses that conservation is more complex than looking at a primary cause alone: For the Channel Island Fox, this means trapping and relocating golden eagles, reintroducing bald eagles, removing feral pigs, replacing exotic grasslands for native ones, and above all, monitoring the foxes. The paper is attractive with many photographs and captions.

Table of Contents:
Scorch and Sizzle
Plagued by an Epidemic
The Hitch with the Shrike
The Flying Catastrophe
Taking a Wider Glance

From the Paper:

"The good news is that predator control is starting to work. Since 2004, there have been no golden eagles on the islands of San Miguel and Santa Cruz. San Miguel Island has also released ten island foxes from their captive breeding program to begin to repopulate the subspecies. In addition, all three islands now have a total of 25 resident bald eagles that have been relocated there in order to bring this native species back. The bald eagles kept the golden eagles away once before, so they may be able to do it again."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blue Plant Biomes. 2005. Island Grey Fox. http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/island_grey_fox.htm. Accessed 2006 May 1.
• California Department of Pesticide Regulation. 2003. San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike. www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/es/esgifs/sclss1-t.gif. Accessed 2006 May 9.
• Courchamp F, Woodroffe R, Roemer G. 2003. Removing protected populations to save endangered species. Science. 302(5650): 1532.
• Defenders of Wildlife. 2003. Channel Island Fox. http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/new/meso/island.html. Accessed 2006 May 3.
• Kohlman SG, Schmidt GA, Garcelon DK. 2005. A population viability analysis for the Island Fox on Santa Catalina Island, California. Ecological Modeling. 183:77-94.

More papers on The Channel Island Fox:

• Essay # 138016 : "The Channel Tunnel Rail Link: Environmental Issues, Management, and Auditing"
• Essay # 33609 : " Introduced Diseases in the Pacific Island Communities"
• Essay # 21638 : "Erosion of the Long Island Shoreline"

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