Sierra Nevada Red Fox – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Overview

Species Common Name Sierra Nevada Red Fox
Species Scientific Name Vulpes vulpes necator
State Listing Status Sensitive

Ecoregions

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains’ summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Umpqua Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, and interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range. The Rogue watershed has the largest population of any coastal watershed in Oregon (Jackson County, Josephine County, and a portion of Curry County). Several popular and scenic rivers run …

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Special needs

Sierra Nevada red foxes inhabit high-elevation meadows and forests. This species is experiencing greater conservation threats at the southern edge of its range, so efforts to provide habitat in Oregon are especially beneficial.

Limiting factors

Fire suppression reduces available habitat in some high-elevation areas.

Data gaps

Describe population dynamics. Conduct genetic studies. Evaluate competition from coyotes.

Conservation actions

Maintain and/or recruit high-elevation conifer forest and meadow habitat. Continue monitoring programs. Support data collection efforts to distinguish between eastern red fox and Sierra Nevada red fox.

Key reference or plan

McFadden-Hiller, J.E. and T.L. Hiller. 2014. Forest carnivore research in the Northern Cascades of Oregon (Oct 2012-June2014): Final Progress Report to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Strategy Spotlight: First Sierra Nevada red fox captured, radio-collared in Oregon

Photo Credit: Tim Hiller, Wildlife Ecology Institute. This female Sierra Nevada red fox in the cross color phase was captured and radio-collared in Deschutes County.

A female Sierra Nevada red fox (SNRF) was captured and radio-collared in Deschutes County in early May 2017, a first for Oregon wildlife biologists researching this rare sub-species of red fox. A second SNRF, a male, was captured about a week later, and a juvenile born that year was captured and collared in August 2017.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Tim Hiller of the Wildlife Ecology Institute have continued a SNRF study that began in 2012 and are now in the phase to capture and radio-collar the foxes in the Oregon Cascades. The original study confirmed SNRF presence in the Oregon Cascades and was partially responsible for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision not to list the species in Oregon.

Photo Credit: Tim Hiller, Wildlife Ecology Institute. ODFW Wildlife Technician Jack Vaughn captured and collared a juvenile Sierra Nevada red fox in August, 2017.

Project leaders Hiller and ODFW wildlife technician Jack Vaughn hope to capture and radio-collar 10 SNRF by the end of June 2018. Capture activities continued for the month of May and were scheduled to resume again later in the fall when success rates are higher than other seasons. However, researchers had extra time and were able to capture the juvenile in late August.

“We use specialized cage traps originally designed for bobcats. It’s a challenge using these during winter, especially this past year with the heavy snowfall, so we were very happy to capture this SNRF female,” Vaughn said of his first collared SNRF.

The collars will be active for one year and Vaughn will monitor them from the ground.

SNRF is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species. Strategy Species include those with small, declining, or unknown population levels that could be at risk and may be in need of conservation. Within the Strategy, ODFW identified data gaps associated with this rare montane (mountain) fox, including assessing population dynamics, collecting genetic information, understanding seasonal habitat use, and evaluating competition from coyotes. The current study aims to fill some of those data gaps.

“Information collected from SNRF in Oregon has never before occurred, and will not only benefit conservation and management in Oregon, but could also be critical for efforts in California,” stated Hiller. “Radio-collared foxes could give us information on habitat use, denning activities, foraging behavior, seasonal elevational changes and sources of mortality.” Hiller said six SNRF have been captured in past and present studies in California.

SNRF is found only in high-elevation meadows and forests of the Oregon Cascades south into northern California, and in the Sierra Nevada of California. The latter population is believed to have less than 50 individuals in total, whereas the Oregon Cascades may hold more foxes, but probably in fragmented areas. In fact, Hiller said past and ongoing research in Oregon suggests that SNRF, while still rare, may be more widespread than originally thought.

The individual captured in Deschutes County in May was an adult female in the “cross” color phase (see above photo). Other color phases include silver (black) and the more familiar red. SNRF generally are smaller than other red foxes and average about eight pounds.

Field research on SNRF in Oregon was first initiated during 2012 by ODFW with assistance from U.S. Forest Service, and included camera surveys and hair and scat collection for genetic analyses. This study, which continues to collect information on SNRF, confirmed their presence in the Oregon Cascades, specifically in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness Areas. Genetic samples are sent to UC Davis for analysis. Additional research findings from this phase of the project will be coming out in the near future.

Funding for this project comes from ODFW, the Pittman-Robertson Act and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Other project cooperators and funders include Wildlife Ecology Institute, U.S. Forest Service, UC Davis, The High Desert Museum, Cascades Carnivore Project, Oregon Wildlife Foundation, and Oregon Zoo Foundation.

The second Sierra-Nevada Red Fox captured and radio-collared by ODFW researchers is released back into the wild in Deschutes County, May 2017.