Big News: The Sierra Nevada Red Fox Spotted in Yosemite!
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NPS Photo[/caption]
A story out of Yosemite has been making the rounds of national and even international news the past few days: two sightings of the incredibly rare Sierra Nevada red fox!
Scientists know very little about this beautiful creature, which may exist in a population as small as 50 individuals. It’s a native subspecies of red fox associated with high-elevation mountain forests—completely distinct from the much more widespread variety of the lowlands.
The discovery underscores how much there remains to be learned about Yosemite’s wildlife. If you’re staying in one of the Scenic Wonders vacation rentals this winter, it also gives you yet another incentive to get out in the woods on skis or snowshoes: Maybe you’ll luck out with a sighting yourself!
Captured on Film
National Park Service biologists captured images of Sierra Nevada red foxes in the far north of Yosemite twice this winter: once on December 13, once on January 4.
This is a big development, given that a Sierra Nevada red fox hasn’t been documented in Yosemite proper for decades. The nearest known population was thought to be around Sonora Pass to the north, only discovered in 2010.
The Park Service released the picture documenting the Dec. 13 sighting. It shows a very handsome fox strolling along the mountain snowpack.
Motion-sensor cameras are definitely starting to shed some light on the mystery of the Sierra Nevada red fox. Only a couple of years back, remote images were taken of the foxes up in Oregon (at Mount Hood and at Crater Lake), proving the lustrous-coated carnivores range well up into the Cascades as well as the High Sierra.
Keep an Eye Out!
Here at the Scenic Wonders blog, we just recently wrote about the joys of wintertime wildlife-watching in Yosemite. If you’re exploring the beautiful snowy forests this time of year, keep an eye out for fox tracks. And you never know: Maybe you’ll peer through the firs and see a little masked face staring back at you!
If you do think you’ve seen a Sierra Nevada red fox, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains a website you can use to report the sighting—valuable information for biologists seeking to understand this elusive critter.
Here at Scenic Wonders, we celebrate the rediscovery of the Sierra Nevada red fox in Yosemite, and we can’t wait to give you the perfect place to stay for your own animal adventures!
NPS Photo[/caption]
A story out of Yosemite has been making the rounds of national and even international news the past few days: two sightings of the incredibly rare Sierra Nevada red fox!
Scientists know very little about this beautiful creature, which may exist in a population as small as 50 individuals. It’s a native subspecies of red fox associated with high-elevation mountain forests—completely distinct from the much more widespread variety of the lowlands.
The discovery underscores how much there remains to be learned about Yosemite’s wildlife. If you’re staying in one of the Scenic Wonders vacation rentals this winter, it also gives you yet another incentive to get out in the woods on skis or snowshoes: Maybe you’ll luck out with a sighting yourself!
Captured on Film
National Park Service biologists captured images of Sierra Nevada red foxes in the far north of Yosemite twice this winter: once on December 13, once on January 4.
This is a big development, given that a Sierra Nevada red fox hasn’t been documented in Yosemite proper for decades. The nearest known population was thought to be around Sonora Pass to the north, only discovered in 2010.
The Park Service released the picture documenting the Dec. 13 sighting. It shows a very handsome fox strolling along the mountain snowpack.
Motion-sensor cameras are definitely starting to shed some light on the mystery of the Sierra Nevada red fox. Only a couple of years back, remote images were taken of the foxes up in Oregon (at Mount Hood and at Crater Lake), proving the lustrous-coated carnivores range well up into the Cascades as well as the High Sierra.
Keep an Eye Out!
Here at the Scenic Wonders blog, we just recently wrote about the joys of wintertime wildlife-watching in Yosemite. If you’re exploring the beautiful snowy forests this time of year, keep an eye out for fox tracks. And you never know: Maybe you’ll peer through the firs and see a little masked face staring back at you!
If you do think you’ve seen a Sierra Nevada red fox, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains a website you can use to report the sighting—valuable information for biologists seeking to understand this elusive critter.
Here at Scenic Wonders, we celebrate the rediscovery of the Sierra Nevada red fox in Yosemite, and we can’t wait to give you the perfect place to stay for your own animal adventures! Share This Post!
