With less than a thousand individuals left, the island gray fox (pictured) may not be capable to outfox extinction, according to the new Wildlife Conservation Society report "Rarest of the Rare."
The island gray—the negligible fox in the United States—is found only on California's Channel Islands. The minute mammal has succumbed to predation from golden eagles as well as diseases from domestic dogs introduced to the islands, experts say. (Related: "Wild Pig Hunt Aims to Save California Island Foxes.")
"Extinction is disastrous, particularly if it is avoidable," according to the report, which was free earlier this month. The paper things to see a dozen species scheduled as critically endangered, and so most at risk of extinction, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The rare species—a mix of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds—will also be featured in the 2010-2011 edition of the WCS book State of the Wild: A Global Portrait.
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