After 17 years of wildlife surveys with baited camera stations, this month CSERC finally got photos of the extremely rare Sierra Nevada red fox. This elusive predator was first discovered last year in the Sonora Pass region -- causing great excitement for wildlife scientists who believed it was extinct in the mountains south of Tahoe.

     Back at that time, CSERC staff jointly worked with U.S. Forest Service staff to do scat surveys that helped gain genetic evidence about the rare fox.

     This month CSERC discovered a new area in the mountains that is occupied by an individual fox that had not been previously photographed. The new fox appears to be a silver phase, the rarest color phase of the Sierra Nevada red fox. The fox appears in three color phases: red, cross, and silver. The different color phases can help differentiate between individuals and can aid in estimates of population size.

     CSERC will continue to work with the USFS and U.C. Davis to collect DNA samples from hair and scat to gain new genetic information. The fox has returned multiple times to the camera station, enabling CSERC staff to be thrilled by its obvious health and agility.

     The Center has also had additional unusual photo successes at camera stations this month. One station has had hundreds of marten photos from near daily visits by the seldom seen martens, and another camera station revealed a porcupine. That is the first porcupine that CSERC has captured with photos at a wildlife station in all 17 years of survey efforts. As staff members Lindsey and John agreed, "We're on a roll right now! Maybe we can get an even rarer wolverine next."

    For an entertaining series of photos of the red fox that visited CSERC's camera stations, click on the YouTube video below.

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