Oh my! Somedays are just OH my days. I have seen about five foxes in my life, in Alaska, Canada, Wyoming and The Holler. I was on Santa Cruz Island before and saw the Channel Island foxes, a very unusual species that live only on the Channel Islands, no where else in the world, but I wasn’t really taking photos then. So back I went to see them again and try and get their photos. We hiked all over stunning Santa Cruz Island, and I firmly believe that since I was seeking, I didn’t find. It was an hour until the boat left and I had already been waiting in the place I had seen them before for about an hour. Silent, still, waiting. When, at last, the first fox came out. She scuttled along this open but submerged ditch that I am guessing she built that led from her den. She was surreptitious at first, but quickly got braver.
This is the second fox. This one was bigger and I assume (with no knowledge to back me up that this was a male).
The friendly first one again.
This is the third smaller one. She (or he) got very close as long as I didn’t move a titch.
I have so many more photos of this unique species. They are 1/3 smaller than the North American Grey fox. Channel Island foxes live on 6 of the 8 Channel Islands. Each island has a separate endemic fox species.
Current thinking seems to be that these island foxes rafted over during the last ice age about 10,000- 16,000 years ago.
They are very protected here. I am speechless. They are remarkbale.
I forget to mention. Santa Cruz Island is ethereal.
Cheers to you from the rare Channel Island foxes~
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I am so insanely jealous! I absolutely have got to find a way to get out there and see them for myself. I love foxes, and these are so amazingly beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us!
It is a real pleasure to meet another fox lover! They are such remarkable creatures! I hope you do go and post when you do. I will give you tips on where to see them~
I promise, I *will* definitely keep you posted! I didn’t even know these little guys existed, and I’m just fascinated by them. And I meant to say, your photos are fantastic! 🙂
Very kind and most appreciated! Cheers to you~
Love these-your pictures are so lovely and he/she didn’t seem frightened at all !! As an aside-I lived in Fox Valley, IL and NEVER saw a fox!
Oh that is a darn shame isn’t it! I didn’t know we would have such a problem with gophers at The Holler even though we live near Gopher Canyon Road. 😉
I must have a Golden Ink to write magic words for your amazing post:)
Oh please do!!!! 🙂
They are beautiful 😉
Very pleased you like them & cheers to you~
Hi Cindy! I’ve never seen foxes like these. They have beautiful, almost feline, faces. Awesome captures!
Yes there is a definite feline quality to them & I am so glad you like them! Cheers to you my friend~ ❤
Beautiful! I’m so glad your wait panned out. And so interesting that they have involved into different species on the different islands.
They are the most beguiling little wild creatures, and you’re right, their unique evolution, each slightly different on different islands, so close to each other, is remarkable.
Cindy, I was looking at some of your older posts, which are also beautiful. I love these photographs.
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Here is a wonderful post on a group of unusual foxes!
I fell in head over heels for these adorable creatures. Thank you for finding them and for championing them!
What a lovely post about a unique species. They’re beautiful. ❤
Aren’t they wonderful! So small and so clever. They enraptured me!
Gorgeous foxes, gorgeous photography. So real, so natural, and friendly. I use to see red and gray foxes in Connecticut in the forest preserve that was literally our backyard. I don’t know anything about foxes, except I think they are beautiful and clever. Cindy, thank you for sharing, so beautiful.
I can count my lifetime of fox sightings on the fingers of both hands, so seeing them for me is always a major thrill. We live next to a nature preserve too, but I have seen one fox here in ten years! How fortunate you were to live with them~