Island fox

Scientific name: Urocyon littoralis

 
An island fox on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park, California.

The island fox is only found on six of the eight Channel Islands off the California coast. Declines in bald eagle populations led to an explosion of golden eagle populations due to a lack of competition. This led to increased predation of island foxes by golden eagles, ravaging their already small numbers.

Four of the six island fox subspecies were listed in the Endangered Species Act in 2004, and breeding and recovery programs were introduced to help improve their populations. With the reestablishment of bald eagles and the removal of non-native species from their habitats, island foxes recovered. They are now listed as near threatenedby the IUCN.