The Cascade red fox (''Vulpes vulpes cascadensis'') is a subspecies of red fox native to

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

in the United States.

Diet

They prey on small mammals and birds living only in the mountains. Due to this, they have an ecology distinct from lowland red foxes.

Distribution

The range of the Cascade red fox is estimated to be 4500 km², but may be as large as 40000 km².Fleckenstein, J.W
"Vulpes vulpes cascadensis - Merriam, 1900"
''

NatureServe NatureServe, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Arlington County, Virginia, US, that provides proprietary wildlife conservation-related data, tools, and services to private and government clients, partner organizations, and the public. Nat ...

'', 20 September 2011. Retrieved on 10 December 2017. It lives in the subalpine meadows and parklands of the

Cascade Mountains The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, a ...

, as well as the open forests on the eastern slope. It does not however inhabit the densely forested western slope. It may inhabit the very southern parts of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. Recent surveys have suggested that they are becoming rarer. This might be due to habitat loss from

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

, logging, and increased recreation in winter allowing other predators such as

coyotes The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...

and lowland red foxes to enter their habitat.Some populations might have gone extinct. The current number of populations seems to be less than 5.

Origins

The ancestors of the Cascade red fox colonized North America after crossing the Bering landbridge during the

Illinoian glaciation The Illinoian Stage is the name used by Quaternary geologists in North America to designate the period c.191,000 to c.130,000 years ago, during the middle Pleistocene, when sediments comprising the Illinoian Glacial Lobe were deposited. It preced ...

over 300,000 years ago.Akins, Jocelyn
"Conservation Status of the Cascade Red Fox"
''

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

'' Retrieved on 10 December 2017. During the

Wisconsin glaciation The Wisconsin Glacial Episode, also called the Wisconsin glaciation, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated in the northern North American Cord ...

, they were pushed south to escape to ice free forests. From that point, they adapted to the colder climate and became distinct. After the glaciation, they moved up into the mountains where conditions were similar.

Conservation

The Cascade red fox is a Natural Heritage Critically Imperiled Species, as well as a Washington Endangered Species. Lack of information has made conservation efforts much harder.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q9095066 Vulpes Subspecies

Diet

Distribution

Origins

Conservation

See also

References