YubaNet reported that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will evaluate if the Sierra Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) should be given endangered or threatened status. A review of scientific information will be done over 90 days. Upon completion Fish and Wildlife decide if the fox is listed as endangered or threatened, not listed, or placed on a candidate list but defer decision due to other species being given higher priority. There are only two small populations of the Sierra Red Fox. One is near Lassen Peak and the other is around Sonora Pass. Read more at YubaNet about the Endangered process at: Sierra Nevada Red Fox to be Considered for Endangered Species Act Protection.
You can learn more about the Sierra Red Fox at: http://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/FC_SierraNevadaWildlifeRisk/SierraNevadaRedFox.php
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 31, 2011
Natural History Wanderings 
I knew that there were black forms of Sierra Red Fox, but did not realize that tail tip clinches the ID. Seems all Red Foxes have a white tail tip, all Gray Foxes have a black tail tip.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regions/1/redfoxsurvey/
Halfway down page note the black type
https://r1.dfg.ca.gov/Portal/SierraNevadaRedFox/tabid/618/Default.aspx
Here is an intermediate type, also with white tail tip
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/news/2010/snrf.shtml
This might be helpful in making an ID at high elevation anyway.
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By: Rusty Scalf on December 31, 2011
at 11:34 AM
Rusty,
Thanks for the ID info and links.
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By: Sandy Steinman on December 31, 2011
at 3:25 PM